Destination Unknown
by Markolvr
Summary: Serenity Wood has discovered she's not ordinary. She can do things even science has yet to explain. The question she asks is why? A brief stop in Santa Carla for a quick break lands her deep in trouble when she is suddenly hunted by vampires.
1. Duty Calls

David's eyes wandered the parking lot from his bike just outside 'VideoMax.' Max had summoned him there for a brief meeting, which wasn't too unusual considering his sire would call him to an unexpected lecture every now and then, but to meet here was just impractical. There were too many nosy human employees in the store for them to try and have a decent and private conversation. Not only that, but Max didn't like the boys snooping around his area of business, so he wondered what was so urgent that made this time different?

He pulled a lone cigarette from behind his ear and lit it up. The overbearing head vampire had yet to arrive, and David was becoming further impatient by the second. He hadn't had the chance to hunt yet that night and the hunger pangs were making his head, ache. Every mere mort that walked by looked like a tasty morsel. If his sire didn't show soon, one of them would be his behind the video store. He considered the thought all too soon as Max pulled up.

The elder glared through his glasses at David with a slight curl to his lips and killed the engine of his car, after which he finally gave a slight smile to his child. He grabbed the few papers he possessed from the passenger side seat, hastily stepping out of the car and then making his way towards the door of the video store. David hesitated before dismounting his bike, and threw his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with the ball of his foot, slowly working it into the pavement. If there was anything Max hated more it was David's will to agitate him while he waited for him to follow.

"Come, come now David," Max persisted, holding the door open for him. "Honestly, you make this more painful than it has to be," he clucked, before bidding his fellow employees a good evening as they passed the checkout counters. David nodded as well, dully acknowledging their presence, and in return received a few dim glares.

"Step into my office, won't you?" Max asked politely, as if there were any other option. "Did you know David, that the Unicorn was the very first animal named by Adam?" Max asked setting the small stack of papers he held down on the desk. The front page had a colored picture of a small code of arms printed on it, guarded by an elegant unicorn and rugged Griffon.

David looked at the papers then at Max hardhearted. "You know I don't believe in that shit."

"Now, now, watch your language. No need to get testy. I was simply asking." He straightened the papers so that they sat in a perfect square bundle. "There's going to be a few changes around her, David. We have company coming. A new girl in town."

David's eyes twitched in annoyance. Why would he care about some girl for anything other than a quick screw and blood meal? "We have a lot of new girls in town everyday, they're called tourists."

"Yes, well this one is different…" Max began, pausing as one of his employees interrupted by bounding through the door.

"We have an issue out here, Sir. Some guy demanding that he talk to the manager about a late fee," the young girl said, with a slight worried look cut across her simple face for having cut in on such an important meeting.

"Ah, I know exactly who it is too." Max replied, calmly rising out of his seat. "Excuse me for one second David, I won't be long." He left the office with the young girl tucked under his arm, leaving the door open a smidge.

David gave the door a quick shove with his boot and it shut entirely. He leaned back in the chair resting one elbow on the table and rubbed his chin, frowning down at the articles. He guessed by the looks of these important documents that Max had some ludicrous task for him to carry out.

He fumbled through them with one finger spreading them across the table, noticing that the words infused into the paper noted something about the end of the world, and something about a girl designed to stop it. But then it went on to state that there were several other humans with this design, but from the looks of it, Max had been tracking one in particular. There were also a few notes from his new business, The New Life Corporation, about genetics and magic and raising the dead. Raising the dead?

David rolled his eyes and looked away as Max came striding back in, being sure to close the door fully once more. He put his fists down on the table beside David, looking down at him very critically. "If you wanted to read these papers all you had to do was ask." He proceeded to straighten them again into a perfect pile. "This girl, you're going to watch her for me, David, and make sure she doesn't run into any trouble, understand? I need her to be in tiptop shape when the time comes."

"You mean like we did with the last one?" David asked in a mocking tone, giving Max a sideways glance with no flare. "The end of the world huh?"

Max looked down at him above the rims of his glasses and put his hands on his hips. "Don't give me any trouble, David, really, I'm not in the mood. If I find out that you or any of the other boys have toyed with her in any way, there will be hell to pay." He smiled and patted David on the shoulder. "Now, go find our girl," he said, jubilantly.


	2. It Begins

-Outside Santa Carla-

Serenity sat in the jockey's room pulling her boots on over her pants. She wore the usual white turtle neck shirt under her black and purple racing silks and her jacket hung loosely over her shoulders, unbuttoned in the front, and her hair fell down her back in a long braid. She also had her headphones on listening to the oldies, while trying very hard to get her mind off the chaotic current events life had thrown at her.

She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath, blowing the air out so that her bottom lip stuck out a little further than the top one. Her silks just didn't feel quite right today. They itched her skin and made her feel cocooned. So in frustration, she undid the buttons on both her sleeves and rolled them up her arms, finally realizing that the room was vacant of all the other jocks that had already left for the paddock. This would be the perfect time to experiment again, she thought. Except the only sharp objects in the room were a few safety pins sitting on top of the lockers just in case one of the jockey's numbers decided to fall off their silks.

Looking around the room, she pondered what she might find instead that was sharp enough to cut skin and then remembered that she had a pair of scissors in her grooming bucket just inside her locker…but that would hurt too much. Oh, What the hell, she thought, reaching into the crowded cubby, pushing through the horse brushes in the bucket to find the scissors. Instead she got lucky and found a bot fly knife, which was more than efficient for the task, and sat back down on the bench hearing the old wood creak as she gazed down at the knife's jagged edge. "It only pinches for a second if that," she told herself, glancing quickly around the room again just to make sure no one was watching. Never mind the fact that the site of her own blood made her nauseous.

One more deep breath and her left hand reluctantly found its way out over her knees so none of the blood would stain her off white pants. She took the knife in her right hand and ran it swift and hard over the inside of all four fingers with a feeble groan, leaving only her thumb unscathed. The blood dripped through her fingers to the floor for one second before she dropped the knife and grabbed hold of the wounded hand. She hadn't realized a fellow jock had entered the room, and noticed her sitting quiescent.

He twirled his whip in the air and casually walked over to her, tapping her with it on the shoulder. This caused her to jump and turn her head towards him with a low growl as he noticed that she was holding her hands together and saw the droplets of blood on the floor. He took the initiative and removed her headphones, a look of awe on his face from the animalistic groan he had heard escape her mouth. "Serenity, are you bleeding? What happened? Let me see."

She shied away from him, guarding her hands from his sight, slightly confused as to why she would growl at anyone. "No, I'm fine, really."

He pulled her hand away anyway to examine it, even as she scowled at him for it. "Don't be silly, you're about to race. We can fix this real quick." He noticed the knife on the floor. "Those dam things can be dangerous sometimes," he continued, holding her hand up to look it over more thoroughly, yet finding not even a scratch. "That's funny, there's nothing here."

Serenity slouched over in relief and took her hand back. "Phew, I thought I cut myself."

The other jockey scratched his head in doubt. "Yeah, but there's blood on the floor." He reached down and touched it, rubbing it in-between his fingers. "It's fresh too."

Serenity just nodded. "Must have been from someone else," she shrugged and smiled. The other jock huffed as he gave up and smiled back, bopping her on the head with his stick.

"Silly girl. What are you doing here anyway? They're saddling your horse in the paddock. Wouldn't want to miss your race would you? Have all the guys in here give you a hard time about being late?"

Her mouth dropped open for a second as she noticed the time. "Oh shit," she cursed, buttoning her shirt quickly. The headphones were thrown carelessly back in the locker and slammed into confinement as she grabbed her helmet and saddle and ran for the door.

The paddock air made the nauseous feeling in her stomach dissipate. It smelled of cheap cigarettes, dirt and horses. Three things that made her feel right at home. It seemed like almost everyone at the racetrack smoked, which at first she hadn't cared for, but now it gave her an odd sense of peace when the day wasn't going just right.

She pushed through the heavy doors past the spectators, who watched as the horses were saddled, picking apart their confirmation in hopes of guessing who the winner would be, and rounded the small circle, entering the number five slot where the Black stood. He turned his head to see her and shifted his body to the wall, almost squishing the groom on the other side, who grumbled and pushed the horse back. Serenity couldn't help but chuckle as she passed him her feather light saddle. No doubt for them the Black was a handful.

Her part time trainer, Megan, stood at the front of the Black holding him by the bridle, and Serenity gave her a nod before reaching in to kiss the horse's nose, glancing once at the crowd that had gathered just outside the fence to gawk at him. "They're all here for you, handsome. We won't let them down will we?" The stallion flared his nostrils as if to say, no way, I'm the fastest thing here.

"Need help George," she asked, glancing back to see him fling the thin saddle pad onto the horse's withers, adjusting it so that it was even on both sides. It too was purple and had the number five printed on it in white.

"Sure thing," was his answer as he put a little square of soft foam on top of the pad and folded it back before putting the saddle over it. "Hand me that under girth will you?"

Serenity reached up and grabbed the rubber girth, handing it to George from underneath her horse as he impatiently sidestepped and pawed the ground. She gave him a rough pat on the shoulder for it. "Easy brat, we're almost there."

One last buckle and the Black was ready to. "Ok," George said. "He's all yours."

A few moments later an announcement raged over the loud intercom, 'Riders Up!' Serenity pulled one stirrup down and George took care of the other as Megan reached down to give her a leg up. "Give'em a bite of your dust," she winked. Serenity nodded taking her seat and gathered up the reins, tying them in a double knot as George led them out of the paddock into the light of day.

No time to think about difficulties now, she thought, gazing up at the large crowd in the grandstand. This would be a short race, no big deal, and after that they would have three weeks off. A much needed break in her mind, and as far as the Black was concerned, he needed one too. One start before this one had left him stumbling out of the gate. Never before had that happened. She chalked it up to too much status pressure; reporters and gamblers constantly trying to discourage another win from the great stallion. Not to mention the number five slot was not her favorite. She preferred to be on the outside where no bumping could or would occur.

Number four, a sleek chestnut stallion, calmly pranced down the inner rail ahead of them, while the number six horse right behind was trying to throw his rider. The Black pranced steadily between them, his head high in the air, looking forward to the starting gate ahead. Number one had already gone in and number two refused for a second to enter the steel trap. Then the number three horse stepped into the gate causing a sigh to escape from Serenity. That was her lucky number. As soon as number four entered in a calm manner, the Black followed anxiously into his own position.

Serenity adjusted her goggles and got a good grip on the reins along with a good wad of the Black's mane. His usual way of breaking launched the both of them right out of the gate like jackrabbits on crack, so it was always better to be safe than sorry and left sitting in the dirt.

Altogether there were ten horses in this race and the one to beat was number seven a bulky dark bay stallion named, One For Money. As soon as he was settled into position a short silence fell over the grandstands, with the exception of a couple jockeys' who made some small indiscreet noises as their horses moved restlessly, eager to be free. For those few seconds before the bell rang, slamming the steel doors open, time stood still. After that, it was an all out war as the horses heaved forward, fighting to grab the lead spot. As suspected, four and six bumped the Black on both sides, but he didn't falter. Instead, he stayed fast as he regained his footing. Serenity was jumbled a bit as well but steadied her seat, leaning over the horses crest as she looked out ahead through his perked ears.

They ended up in the eighth position along the back rail as the number two horse had taken the lead. One For Money was close behind and number one and three just behind them as ten had fallen to the back of the pack.

Serenity urged the Black on to pass four and nine, putting them in the sixth position as they thundered down the backstretch already halfway through the race. It was a steady pace and for now they were safe, but her horse pulled on the bit fighting to move forward again and pass up the other horses. "No, no, not yet," Serenity told him, pulling back on the reins. Number eight easily moved up along side of them, challenging her horse, and closed in to cut them off. This left Serenity no choice but to pull her stallion off the rail further towards the center of the track so they wouldn't get boxed in between the other horses.

As soon as the number eight began to pass them Serenity gave the Black his head and let him go, passing up eight, nine and six. One For Money had made his move past the number two and was now in the lead as they rounded the far turn. It was time to pour on the juice and the Black was ready. His nostrils flared inhaling more oxygen and he stretched himself out over the dirt. This was the signal for the jockey's to take to their sticks, yelling and shouting over their horses, urging them on roughly in a last attempt to take on the leader.

'And down the stretch they come!' The announcer yelled over the speaker. The crowd stood, hollering and throwing their hands in the air trying to influence their favorite horse to move faster and pass the finish line first. Serenity and the Black had moved to the outside and were passing the other horses as if they were standing still. The first to go was the three horse. Its jockey glanced at Serenity from the side with a look on his face that was anything but glorious. Next in line were number one and two, both of which were neck and neck, to busy fighting each other to notice the Black slip past them. Serenity and her horse were now hot on the heels of One For Money.

"Let's go handsome," she called out, feeling her horse surge forward one more time, tail held high. It put him head to head with the other horse and the Black tipped his nose in, playfully nipping at his opponent as if to say, 'You're out of here sucker!' He let out a snort and surged to the lead just as the camera flashed and Serenity held a hand up in the air smiling at another glorious victory for the pair.

…..

Later that night Serenity blinked sleepily up at the dark ceiling of her hotel room. The moon was shining in through the curtains and lit the place up better then any nightlight as the soft breeze from the open window blew the supple fabric from side to side. It still felt like a smoldering eighty degrees outside and it very well could have been. The record heat from the past few days' had left its mark on the nights that were usually cool. It mattered little to Serenity, she always carried a mini fan with her and had it running on high, gently blowing the tiny loose hairs on her forehead wildly around.

It couldn't get any better than this, she thought. Another win at the track, the sweet summer air, a surprisingly comfortable hotel bed, and all the little stars that were perfectly visible to her from it. Now if she could just bring herself to sleep. She was afraid of the dreams, the dreams that had been haunting her for months now. It was always her mom, how she died and the man that killed her. He was always after her in her dreams with those glowing orange eyes of his, the tall figure cloaked in black.

Serenity had only been three years old when this happened, but the details were still as clear as day in her mind, along with a few other remnants of memory that were too jumbled to recall. She had gone to live with her grandparents after that on a big farm in California not to far from the seaside town, Santa Carla. That's where her knowledge of horses was learned, and along with that came the stallion she fell in love with known as, the Black.

As she got older, she studied up on the myths and legends about vampires, certain the intruder that had broken into their house that night had been one. He had a certain smell to him that lingered for weeks after the attack. She never thought for one second that a vampire was a real thing, but now she questioned it, and with that questioning would come other dangers, as well as the discovery of her own mysterious gifts, her healing ability and heightened sense of smell. Was it because she had been touched by evil? It didn't matter really, one way or another she was determined to find the answers. A few good weeks on the sandy warm beaches of California would clear her head. Maybe even get rid of the nightmares. She wiggled and giggled in bed, excited about her next journey. Her eyelids drooped heavy at last, and she sank into a deep sleep.

…

Before Serenity knew it, she found herself driving down Front Street in Santa Carla, California in search of a bite to eat. The nightlife had taken over in this exuberant spot of America, and she suddenly felt very lost in the city of tourists and locals who didn't seem to care much about how they looked or dressed. It looked like fast food would yet again have to be her choice of meals this time around, even though she was sick of it, but the Black was restless and tired of being in the trailer. He had started his normal routine of kicking the walls to let her know it was time to get out of his confinement.

He screamed and kicked even harder as Serenity put on the brakes when she spotted a Thai restaurant, licking her lips even as her stomach growled at the thought of the spicy yet sweet and savory meal. No problem, she would just get it to go, and after she ate there would be plenty of time for a midnight ride on the beach the Black would surely enjoy. She pulled a complicated u-turn and entered the parking lot of the restaurant knowing that her truck and trailer took up about four parking spaces. In order to get in without any complaints she decided that the back corner of the lot under a few trees that shadowed the area was decidedly the best spot.

The Black screamed when he heard Serenity shut and lock the truck door and poked his nose through the small window of the trailer, smelling the air, knowing full well that this was not the correct destination. Serenity hopped over to him and touched his nose with her fingers, taking a whiff of the air herself. It was a bit rancid, like dead fish or animals and Serenity crinkled her nose. "Dam, I think we've come to the city of the dead," she whispered cracking a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

She left her overly anxious horse and walked into The King and I, inhaling the pleasant aroma of coconut milk curries, gingered spices and the many stir fries sautéing in peanut oil. Above the many booths dangled pleasantly lit green lights that set the atmosphere in subdued undertones, and above them hung several pictures of Thailand. But instead of playing the normal soft music one would think would be playing in that sort of place, there was a long list of eighties music, and it made Serenity smile. "That's the style I like," she whispered to herself.

A young man behind the counter offered her a menu. He was shorter than she, with dark hair and green eyes, American too, but she held up a hand in refusal. "No thanks, actually. I know what I want."

The guy took a pen and pad out of his left pocket and held them up, ready to take her order. "What can I get you?" he asked politely.

"The Pad Thai noodles with chicken, shrimp, and tofu, please. And can I get that to go?" she asked, turning around quickly to glance out the window. The trailer was rocking. She swung back around, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And can you hurry, please?" she continued, handing him a twenty and insisting that he keep the change. The guy nodded with a smile and went to place the order.

It was then that Serenity noticed a group of guys in one of the far corners of the restaurant being rather loud and obnoxious. From the tops of their heads, she counted four of them. It sounded like they were clinking their glasses together and throwing food, but she wasn't sure. "Crazy jack asses," she hissed and turned back to watch the cooks tossing her food together.

As this went on, she heard someone flip a quarter into the jukebox and a second later, 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith, radiated through the speakers and Serenity found herself in beat to the music, swinging her shoulders left and right. One of the rowdy guys from the booth came up beside her and dutifully placed his black gloves on the counter almost too close for comfort, while his cohorts in the booth rocked and sang out loud to the song. She tried to ignore him and continued to look straight ahead, still going to the drum of the music. "You like Chinese?" he asked, slightly drumming his fingers. She pursed her lips and refused to look at him; just knowing he would probably have some smart assed comment, but his smell intrigued her. It was one she had smelled somewhere before, spicy and wild, like he had spent a thousand summers sleeping outside under the stars, and yet at the same time it was coppery like pennies. She had to keep from licking her lips as she thought of the metallic taste pennies had.

"This is _not _Chinese," she huffed, cocking one eyebrow in the guy's direction to see if he would respond. "Different spices, different flavors…I'd say you were in the wrong place." She smiled slyly as the host returned.

"David! Come on man, we're growing old here," one of the other guys from the far booth yelled. Serenity shook her head and huffed again, trying her best to be patient in hopes that the unpleasant situation beside her would soon go away.

"My apologies. No hard feelings huh?" The guy asked her, removing his hands from the counter to pull a wad of cash out from his over coat pocket. "You sure I can't get a number, or maybe show you around town?"

The host sat her bag of food down in front of her and she winked at him. "Thank you," she said, turning the opposite direction of the other guy standing in her path. "Not in this life time," she whispered and headed out the door.

David smirked and walked back to his table. Finding this girl had been too easy. Now if he could just turn the tables on Max, the bastard would be sorry he had ever searched the girl out, let alone send him on an errand to do his bidding. "Ok boys, let's go," he said quietly. "We've got some business to take care of."


	3. Night Rider

After the quick takeout as promised, Serenity took the Black to the beach as a way to distress after the long hall. She had managed to find an old, overgrown trail that led from the boarding stable all the way down to the boardwalk and had decided it was in need of exploration. At a full gallop and bareback her horse was anything but calm. He lowered his head and bucked in play sending Serenity tumbling down onto his slick, black crest. It wasn't unusual for the stallion to react in this way after being stuck in the trailer for hours, so she let him hop and crab step to his hearts content and they moved further down the trail. When finally it seemed that the ants in his pants had ceased, she asked him to whoa and dismounted, proceeding to tie the reins up around his neck so they wouldn't fall loose or become tangled around his legs. With one last approving pat, the stallion was free to go his own way.

His master on the other hand, decided to study the layout of the beach and the waves as they crashed against the sides of her feet. All foamy and white, they felt like a pair of fuzzy cotton socks, and the sand slimy and sticky underneath them, squishing between her toes. A few feet away, seagulls pranced around, bobbing their heads back and forth, playing and gathering debris left from the oncoming tides. Their gray bodies matched the ocean perfectly, as did the stars in their own way, neatly tucked up in heavens, showing off their bright faces. The boardwalk was all lit up now as well in the dark just behind her. It bustled with people screaming and cheering as they went on each and every ride. Serenity turned to face it as a warm breeze swept her long, silvery blonde hair over her shoulders, and she breathed deep. The smell of French Fries and hot dogs crept into her nose along with a tinge of something else. A scent she had smelled before. It was distinct and wild, but her mind could not recall the exact day or time she had come across it.

Slowly, she made her way back over to the Black, who stood quietly near one of the lifeguard stations. He moved restlessly as she approached while still trying to figure out that foreign yet familiar smell. His black coat glistened in the moonlight, and he too smelled the air with nostrils flared, and ears pricked forward.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she told him, taking hold of his long black mane, and with a quick swinging motion she hoisted herself up onto his back. It felt good to have a horse like the Black beneath her. It wasn't just riding a horse, it was freedom and power, and as long as she was on his back she felt nothing could harm her. She took hold of the reins and urged him on over the sand, suddenly scanning the air. For what and why she wasn't sure, but the long stretch of beach they had been riding led straight up to the boardwalk. "Dam…looks like we'll have to cut this ride short," she whispered, and yet couldn't bring herself to turn the horse around. Something seemed to be pulling her; so instead, she gave him a squeeze with her legs and urged him on.

In the distance she could see a stairway that led straight into what looked like a covered arcade area and the rebellious side of her gave a shout to follow temptation and take the Black that way, but for sure, horses were not allowed. Instead, she shook the thought off and turned her attention back towards the area in which they had come from. The Black felt her gesture and rose high in the air before lunging forward. Serenity could feel the impulsion from his haunches as they moved faster and faster as if the same force was pulling him as well, but before the horse could reach mach ten speed, she pulled the reins tight, stopping him just shy of the cement stairs. People passed on each side, hardly giving them any notice accept for a glance now and then from the corners of their eyes. Serenity could hear the music from the carrousel loud and clear now. She didn't want to turn back. That something was still driving her to go further. She slid off the Black and tied him loosely to the tree. "Sorry, gorgeous," she shrugged, "But I've got to find out what that is." The Black disagreed now that she was leaving him behind. He pawed the ground and shook his head nervously as she disappeared into the crowd.

It didn't take long for the flurry of activities to overcome her. Both excited and anxious, she became disoriented in the mob and found herself stumbling over a garbage can into a back alley. She took a moment to collect herself and decided to watch from this more secluded spot, still unsure of what she was even looking for. At least this way, there would be no black eyes from trying to peak over everyone else's shoulders. After a few minutes of staring blankly into the comic book store across from the alley and finding no resolution, she decided it was time to leave. As she turned to go she caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, just a bit further down the alley and for no good reason ventured further towards it.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see that it wasn't just one figure but two, except the second figure was significantly blocked by the first, a young guy, wearing chaps and blue jeans, and a denim jacket all done up in fine patches. He had long curly blonde hair, pulled back just a little at the nape of his neck, and he appeared to be making out with this person, but as Serenity got closer, she realized the second person had blood all over their neck, and the one with the golden curls was the cause. She fumbled back as her inner voice shouted, _'Vampire!'_

"Oh my God!" she said, a little louder than expected, quickly turning away to find the exit out of the alley. "Not real!"

That very statement contradicted the belief she had been carrying with her through the years, but before she could make it out of the dark, three more figures surrounded her. "What's your rush little sis?" One of them asked playfully, mirroring her movements from side to side so she couldn't get by. "Don't you wanna find out what happens?"

Serenity froze, looking up at him hovering over her. Being trapped like a fly was not on her agenda for the night and anger caused her to frown and forget the fear for a second. "What do you mean by that?" Stupid question, she already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid you've seen too much," another said, piercing her with his arctic blue eyes.

"Seen to much of what exactly?" she asked, backing quickly away, running into the third figure with a quick glance back down the alley. "That freak parade back there?"

"We can smell your fear, pretty girl," the third one growled, his dark eyes brimming with the wild look of a wolf, his voice deep and overpowering. Serenity felt that they would pounce on her at any second and she would end up like the girl in the alley.

"I'm not afraid of you," she lied, shaking her head in confusion as she looked into the dark eyes of the one who had just spoken. It felt as if he were sucking her thoughts away. They were half in, half out of the alley and if the crazy thought she was having at that moment was true, would they really drain her in a crowd of people?  
"What could you guys possibly want from me?"

"Your blood," he said calmly. He put his hand on her shoulder and she felt herself moving closer to him completely under his thrall, tilting her head to expose the pulsing artery in her neck. She felt his breath on her cheek as she closed her eyes in submission. But the closure of her eyes instantly broke the spell, and she jerked up, trying to pull away.

Her only hope was to scream and that she did, yelling out frantically for the Black, causing the three strangers to look from one another to the area surrounding them. Her fingers instantly found her mouth and a whistle ensued while she fought to squeeze through the three menaces that for no rhyme or reason other than the fact she had seen something forbidden, wanted to kill her.

From further down the boardwalk came the screams of people rushing out of the way of the oncoming stallion. One passer by yelled, "Hey, there's a horse on the boardwalk!" This took the three by surprise and they stood almost silently, caught off guard, as they stared down to see what was happening. This was not something that happened to them…ever. The Black barreled down upon them, diving straight through the middle of the small group, causing the strangers to back away a little. He reared high, striking the air over one of them.

"Hey whooaa!" he yelled, holding his arms above his head. By then the fourth had joined, casually wiping the blood from his mouth, before giving Serenity a wicked smile.

"Catch me," she whispered, shooting the smile back at him, grabbing for the horses mane to hoist herself onto his back. She turned him back towards the crowd and was off, past the food stands and down the forbidden stairs onto the beach towards the trail. She urged him on into a full gallop once they hit the sand, hearing the sound of dirt bikes lurking behind them. If it was the four, she knew it wouldn't be long before they caught up. "Come on Black we need to go!" she hollered, wondering why the hell she had had the urge to coax them on to begin with as she leaned into the stallion's neck. The horse stretched himself out, swallowing the ground beneath him with every stride, moving faster and faster until it felt as if they could fly. Still, Serenity heard the bikes closing in. She knew in her gut it was they, and her stomach churned. This was foreign ground too no less and so far there was no place to hide in sight.

The Black was already lathered in white foam from sweat and his nostrils were working hard to keep the oxygen moving through his lungs. They had gone over a half-mile at full speed and he was lacking the strength to push any harder. Serenity could clearly see the bikes behind them now as they raced towards the dark, wooded area ahead. She quickly turned him off the path, jumping over a few boulders hoping to detour the bikes, knowing they would not be able to go over them like her horse could.

As they maneuvered in and out of the rocks and trees, Serenity noticed a large, sheltered cliff ahead with an inlet of layered limestone that she decided would be the best concealed hiding spot. She slid off the Black, grabbing him by the bit and smoothed her hand over his sweaty neck to keep him quiet. The bikes roared up just beyond the rock and rubble, their lights bouncing off the boulders around Serenity and her horse as she ducked down, pulling the Black's head down with her, kissing his nose. "Easy boy," she whispered. "Gotta keep quiet."

The four strangers hooted and hollered as the two sat in silence, Serenity barely breathing, clinging to her horses bridle for safety. What had she gotten herself into?

"We know you're in there," one of them said.

"And we're gonna find you!" another smarted in a comical tone.

"Hmm, where could she be?" Serenity heard one say. It sounded like the one that had almost sank his teeth into her, and she could hear him jumping from rock to rock, getting closer. The Black snorted and shook his head, pulling her off the ground.

"Shh, Black," she whispered.

"Shh," came a voice behind her, causing her to jump as she turned around to see the curly haired blonde. "Boo!" he blurted, smiling impishly. This startled the Black and he rose in the air again, but the rocks above prevented him from achieving a full rear. The boy grabbed hold of Serenity as the dark haired one seized the reins of her horse. Unable to tolerate this nonsense, the Black pinned his ears and bared his teeth, lunging at the guy, who easily managed to swerve out of the way still holding the reins. The joker of the bunch jumped in to help his friend by taking hold of the other side of the bridle and they both battled to keep the horse on all four feet.

"Aww, come on David, man," the joker, squealed. "We don't deal with horses!"

David was now in front of Serenity, clasping his gloved hands with an eerie air of calm about him. "Nice horse you got there. Care to calm him down before something bad happens?"

"No!" Serenity retorted in anger, trying to break away from curly and his firm grip. "He's a wild horse and I refuse to die the way you killed my mother! I refuse to die at all!"

Ignoring the first remark he smirked and said, "You seem a little wild yourself. Besides, who said anything about killing? Not me. Did you boys?" He turned slightly when he said this, giving each of them a glance over his shoulder before turning back to her. "And I didn't kill your mother."

"I know that's what you were planning," she squirmed. "I interrupted your little blood party. Let me go you bastard. What the hell are you made of…steel?" she writhed, unable to free herself and then finally gave up a little with a grunt.

"Hey," he whispered. "Name's Marko." He ran his lips down her neck and sniffed her hair, which sent a chilled, pleasing shiver all the way through her body, and she almost fainted. "You smell absolutely delicious," he continued, in a vicious and tempted tone.

"Smell…" Serenity sighed and shivered, rocking back against him, breathing deep, and felt the slight prick of his teeth on her skin. She realized then it was his smell she had sensed on the beach. "I can smell you," she said out loud, pushing off his chest just to have him pull her back again. "I could smell you on the beach earlier." She pondered why silently, forgetting for a moment her dilemma as his scent caught her off balance. David frowned as the other two still fought the Black, but the horse had also begun to quiet down a bit.

"Whoa, easy big fella," one of them said, only to have the stallion pull him in another direction.

"Marko," David voiced, and the vampire pulled his mouth away from Serenity's neck. "Yes, you're right. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he continued, but Serenity wasn't so sure. She got the feeling that this little meeting was somehow meant to be. "Do you know what we are?"

She slumped down in Marko's arms. "Yes," was her answer, and before giving it a second thought, she reached up and pulled out the sterling silver cross she wore under her shirt. She hastily slid it into the sleeve of Marko's jacket, pressing it to the skin of his arm. He yelped and released her, backing away quickly.

"Dam it all!" he cursed, clutching the sleeve of his jacket.

David glared for a second at Serenity, but all she could manage was a wicked, crooked smile in return. "Come get me!" she blurted, suddenly feeling catty and turned to run. It took David about the speed of a microsecond to catch her right arm, twisting it back over her head so sharp, she thought it would come out of its socket. He spun her around to face him and grasped her throat in his other hand. Serenity wiggled and gasped trying to get words out but it was no use, he was squeezing her airway shut and her vision was going dark.

"You're too smart for your own good," he growled.

"David, wait!" Marko yelled, knowing their orders. He hurried over to show him his arm. "There's no burn," he continued, suddenly mystified, rubbing the spot of contact. Was this why Max wanted her alive?

David pushed Serenity back, causing her to take an abrupt seat on the ground. At least now she could breath. "Looks like your plan failed," he said with a smirk. "Not so sure we can let you go now, at least, not completely. Especially since you know about us." By then the other two had brought the Black over and he stood still as they held him on both sides.

"Holy crap man, this horse is wild," the joker cracked. "So, we gonna kill her or keep her or what?" There was a bemused look on his face when he asked this question and a glint in the sky blue of his eyes as if some faded memory had surfaced.

Serenity caught it and shivered, crossing her arms over her knees and shook her head in disgust from the lack of affliction. The air had finally turned cold and the breeze from the ocean gave her goose bumps. Surprisingly enough, Marko opened his jacket and wrapped it around her with his arms. As Serenity's body warmed, her fear faded. Another mind spell maybe? She was having visions of his lips on her neck again, and she let her body fall against his.

Little did she know that David's idea was to take over Max's little project forever, not run around and baby sit, but now that she had stumbled upon them herself all too soon, the secret was out and David wanted to know more. "No, we're not going to kill her," she heard him say as everything went black.

Hours later, Serenity awoke in her cabin bedroom and looked around. She couldn't quite remember what had happened and for a moment forgot where she was. Someone had been there, she could still smell them, intoxicating her small space, and they had pulled the shades down over all the windows. She knew this because she usually left them open, even at night to keep the claustrophobic feeling away. There was also sand and salt all over the bottoms of her feet and it had created a mess on the comforter. "Just great," she muttered. "Nothing like sleeping with sand in your shorts."

She pushed herself off the bed, letting her eyes adjust to the dark and slowly made her way over to the kitchen sink. Incredible thirst had taken over and she filled a glass with water. It had never tasted so good as she emptied the cup and proceeded to fill it a second time, guzzling it down and peering out through the shades. "Still night," she grumbled, letting the last of the water trickle down her chin. "How long was I asleep for anyway?" she asked, looking around in the pitch black expecting someone to answer. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, there was no one there now, but who had been there? Why couldn't she remember?

She rolled up the shades and opened the window, taking in the fresh ocean air. A warm breeze rolled in causing something on one of her chairs to flutter violently and she jumped back. Finally realizing it was just a shirt; she smiled and sniffed the air catching the scent of horses outside.

"Oh no!" she gasped, grabbing her hoodie off the kitchen table. The microwave clock read half past midnight, which meant that she had slept through the Black's dinner time. But wait a minute. She took a step back and picked up the shirt. It was a black mesh top, nothing she owned, and the smell of it jumbled her senses. Who had been there? Where had it come from? With more than a tinge of worry, she hopped out the door, foreign shirt in hand and headed for the stable. Perhaps Carla, the manager, would have some suggestion. She only hoped that the girl had fed the Black for her earlier, otherwise he was likely to keep the whole barn awake, not to mention a few human neighbors.

Finally after what seemed like a forever sprint, she hit pavement, rounded a corner and almost crashed right into Carla.

"Goodness girl, it's about time you got here. That horse of yours is making quite the ruckus." She eyed Serenity up and down with a smirk. "Although, I take it you had fun last night."

Serenity put her hands on her knees trying to catch her senses, and held up the dreaded shirt. "I found this in my room."

"Oh, so you did have fun last night," Carla beamed.

Serenity frowned up at her, worried due to her lack of memory. "No, someone was there, I think maybe when I was sleeping."

Carla brushed her off and looked down the aisle. "Whatever you say girl. Sounds like a party to me. Anyway, I fed him for you, but somethin's botherin' him, and I don't dare step foot in that stall. Devil's snare that horse is." She half glared in the Black's direction.

Serenity straightened and took a deep breath as she went over to the horses stall, ignoring Carla's words. She was right though, the stallion was frazzled; sweat covered every inch of his chest and down his shoulders. "Hey brat," she whispered. "What's the matter huh? Come here gorgeous." The stallion hesitantly made his way over to her and stopped before his nose touched her fingertips. He tossed his head, snorted and reared. "Easy handsome, I'm sorry I'm late."

Carla came up behind her and nudged her shoulder. "So tell me…what did happen last night? Come on I give you free board here, you have to tell me the goods. Anyone in particular?"

Serenity turned to her and frantically held the shirt up again, shaking it a little for emphasis. "Someone was in my cabin, I have no idea who's this is, and they pulled all my shades down!" Certain visions and flashes started to skip through her brain, and the crazed look on her face lessoned. "Wait a minute, did you say last night?"

"That's right girl, you slept the entire day away. Anyway, it's about time you let loose. Probably good for the horse too, what with all those races you've entered him in."

"Yeah, but I don't remember." The Black caught scent of the shirt and pinned his ears, kicking the back of the wall. Serenity frowned again. "What is wrong with you?"

"He needs a tranquilizer, that's what's wrong with him, and too much booz'll do that to you," Carla said, pointing to the shirt.

Serenity went pale. "You don't think I…" she paused and gulped. "I mean…I didn't do anything I'm gonna regret…you think?"

Carla burst into laughter. "Man you worry to much, what with the two gorgeous guys that brought him back here for you, I'd say you had it made."

Serenity slumped down against the stall still pale, unable to clearly understand what Carla meant. "What?"

"Yeah, one guy on his back, and the other was clinging to his bridle for dear life. They told me you had had too much to drink."

Hearing this made Serenity drop the shirt and start to hyperventilate. "Whoa, you all right?" Carla asked, reaching to put a hand on her shoulder.

Serenity shook her head no and took a seat on the floor. "What did they look like?" she merely glanced up at Carla when she asked this, her eyes reddened as though she were about to cry.

"Mmm, yeah, I remember, a dark haired fella, Native looking. He was riding him, and a curly haired, young guy was leading him." Carla put her hands on her hips. "And here I thought you were the only one that could ride that horse."

Serenity glared up at her and through clenched teeth said, "That doesn't help me."

"I can't believe you don't remember a couple of hot guys like that. Looks like one of them got to you anyway." She eyed the bluish bruise on Serenity's throat.

Serenity quickly covered it with her hand, and as she hit the spot, the memory of golden curls came flooding back. "Marko."

Carla smiled. "Ah, so you do remember," she teased.

"It's not like that," Serenity explained as though some quick resolution had just entered her brain. She picked up the shirt with a deep breath and grabbed her horse's bridle. "I just got too messed up is all."

Carla blinked. "So just like that it's ok, huh? You sure you're not too hung over still to get on that beast?"

"I'll be fine. I need to clear my head anyway, figure some things out on my own," Serenity half mumbled. They had obviously let her go for one reason or another, she just wasn't sure why and she didn't know enough about vampires to know what their exact plan of action might be. In a way she felt half idiotic for taking off again into the night so soon after a brush with death, but the fear had faded. She slipped a bridle over the Black's head and swung herself onto his back. Her horse wasted no time lunging out of his stall, nearly knocking Carla over in the process.

Carla shrugged. "So you want me to watch out for the shade caper then?" It was too late. The ocean breeze carried her words away, as Serenity was already half way down the path towards the beach.


	4. Sweet Dreams are Made of These

A cold shower had never felt so good, Serenity thought, hours after her ride as she let the cool water run its course over her face and hair and down her shoulders. The outing had brought back the dreaded memory of the four men she still assumed were vampires and while she contemplated the issue from her safe spot behind the shower curtain, there came a knock at the door. Given the circumstance and alarmed by the noise, her body jerked forward as she jumped and almost slipped out of the shower trying to grab the nearby towel and wrap herself quickly in it. A slight twinge of fear roped itself around her insides as she wondered just who the hell would be coming around at such a late hour.

Stealthily, she crept across the carpet through the kitchen and made it to the door, flinging the clothes in front of it from the last two days aside as she opened it in an ill but cautious manner. To her surprise, a clumsy young guy in out of date clothes stood before her wearing a self-conscious smile. He was the least of her worries, but fortunately it wasn't some fang come to finish the job they hadn't the night before.

"Hey, what happened to you?" he chuckled. "You look like you fell off the ferrous wheel a couple times."

Serenity was not amused. "What are you doing here, Howie? Don't you know what time it is?"

"Y-yeess," he continued nervously, still smiling. "But I could say the same for you, you crazy night owl, you." He pushed his way past her entering the cabin.

"Come on in," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she slammed the door behind them. Howie strutted forward hiding one hand secretly behind his back. He gave her digs a once over and ever so slowly, with a shit-eating grin on his face, brought it forth to expose one tiny package.

"Actually, we just received this today, thought you might want it. It is after all what you've been waiting for, isn't it?"

A few weeks before, Serenity had gotten word that a special package had been following her around to every racetrack, always arriving a day after she had already left. She was finally able to tell a local post office about her whereabouts in Santa Carla, and where they would be able drop the package. She had met Howie, their delivery boy, briefly there and now he would not go away.

Serenity gasped anyway and excitedly bounced over to him grabbing the package. "Oh Howie, I could kiss you!" she exclaimed.

"Well," he blushed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I did ask you out the other night, but you never really gave me an answer."

Serenity gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's complicated. I can't go out with anyone right now, you understand right? I have some things to figure out and then I'll be gone, and what would that be for you, huh?" She grabbed his arm and eagerly pulled him towards the door. He was slightly agreeing with her until he noticed the black mesh shirt on the table.

"Wait a minute," he said, taking his arm back and reaching for it. "You know you could be a little more honest with me." He was half sarcastic, shaking his finger at her, but also half heartbroken, she could tell by the discerned look on his face and the way he tried to keep smiling. "I mean, I'm not your type, right?" For some reason he sniffed the shirt and threw it away gagging. "Good lord, woman, are you dating a bum? That thing smells awful!"

Before Serenity could say a word the sound of motorcycles came roaring down around the cabin. The lights flickered and the wind howled through the open window, blowing the shirt into Howie's face again. "Gah!" he gasped, hurling it aside jumping behind Serenity. Their headlights beamed in on them, blinding both as they moved to put their hands over their eyes. "Uh, Serenity," Howie shuddered, "What's going on?" The boys hooted and hollered outside circling her abode in a continuous manner. Serenity gritted her teeth and clenched her fists making her way towards the door leaving Howie helpless in the middle of the room. "He-hey, wait, what are you doing?" he exclaimed. "Are you nuts, we're obviously under some kind of attack!" As soon as she opened the door the bikes were gone and all was silent, which shocked her more than she was willing to admit. She took a deep breath and closed the door.

"This is my complicated life, you see?"

Howie was stunned for a moment staring blankly at the door and then he seemed to bounce back, shaking himself off and half smiling. "Oh well, no problem." He made a funny face and brushed her aside, trying to show no fear. "I mean I understand, right?" He made his way for the couch. "I'll just…you know, crash her till morning and…"

"Oh no," Serenity rushed behind him and pushed him toward the door again. "You're going home, and I'm going to bed."

He grunted. "Yeah, but those… _things_ are out there."

"There's nothing out there," she assured him, opening the door. "Now go home and more than likely, I'll call you tomorrow."

Howie lit up for second forgetting his fear. "A call for m'wa? Why how thoughtful of you."

Serenity rolled her eyes and half smiled pushing him out the door. "G'night."

Still, he managed to shove his face in once more. "I'll be awaiting your call, indeed, you are so gracious." She slammed the door as he kept talking. "G'night, my fair lady." Serenity couldn't help but laugh under her breath at that last comment and ran her hands through her half wet hair, contemplating whether or not to take something to help her sleep. But then again, she wanted all her senses about her if the prankster boys decided to show up for a second show. What was it they said about vampires in her books? No entrance without an invite? She wondered if that rang true and why she felt so at ease with all of it. Perhaps it was that deep down she just couldn't believe that such a thing existed. For all she really knew, so far they were just a group of motorcycle bullies playing pranks on people, and what little she remembered was just something her imagination had made up. She hit the lights and slipped into bed, setting the foreign shirt along with the package on her nightstand. She had become rather obsessed with the shirt and secretly hoped for another visit from its owner. At least then she could flat out ask what the hell was up. The clean satin sheets felt silky against her bare skin as she sprawled out, blinking up at the dark ceiling thinking, or rather dreaming of Mr. honey haired curls and his deep kiss. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Sometime later, a chill hit Serenity's cheeks where she slept and a salty, damp smell filled the air. Light from a burning barrel flickered against the cave wall across the room…wait a second…cave? This must be a dream, she thought, catching the presence of someone beside her. She put her hands over her face and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Rise and shine, Lil'sis," said a playful voice, nodding and presenting a little sideways smile when she finally decided to make eye contact. He put one hand on his chest and rocked back a bit. "Name's Paul. Case you don't remember." One of the four that had chased her the other night, it was the first time she had really looked at him. He wore the wild boy persona well, blue eyes and crazy blond hair, along with the black mesh shirt she had found in her cabin.

"So you're the midnight caper?" He didn't answer, but seemed to pause for a moment and she remembered she was dreaming. "Hmm, ok," she thought. "What are the safety pins for?" She pointed to the ones he wore on his jacket.

"I saw them in a music video once," he finally answered, bouncing a little and tapping his knees with his hands as if he could still hear the music. "And that's the end of that story."

"Yeah right, there's got to be more to it than that. Let me guess, you keep one for every girl you've slept with." Again came the pause and Serenity sat up feeling the heaviness of her body. "Did you guys give me something? I feel so loopy."

"Not a thing," he replied confidently. "You're probably just feeling the affects of flying unconscious for the first time. It's always better to do it awake," he winked.

"Wait, flying?" she asked as David came out from one of the corners in the room.

"We had to get you here somehow," he said, folding his hands together.

"Why?" Serenity paused when there was no answer and then, "Hey I'm sorry I ruined your little hunting, prankster party the other night. It's not like I'm going to have someone hunt you down, I have better things to do with my time."

Paul laughed. "Chill out girl! We're way over that, trust me this is much bigger."

Serenity frowned. "I don't get it. Are you vampires or just men with large egos?"

David leaned in close to her past the level of comfort. "What do you think?" He gave her a toothy smirk to show her some fang. "We're not the only ones keeping secrets. You have a tattoo on your inner thigh. Small code of arms with the word, DIVINE, under it, I've seen it before, but what does it mean?"

"It's just a tattoo," she continued innocently. "My mom had it put on me when I was a little girl."

Paul nudged her arm playfully. "Come on, we all know that it's illegal for anyone under eighteen to get one, blah blah, yada yada."

"That's just what I was told," she shrugged, scowling a little. "Besides, what the hell were you doing looking down there anyway, perverted much?"

Paul backed away half offended, half lighthearted throwing his arms in the air. "Hey it wasn't me chickadee."

"That symbol you have means something," David persisted, his voice more stern. "Obviously, there's something you're not telling us."

I don't know all right! I've had it forever." She pricked herself, hoping she would wake up from this dream that was pinching at her inner nerves.

"I think she's telling the truth man," Paul said sincerely. "If she wasn't, obviously she wouldn't have tried to burn Marko, and you know…" Before he could get another word in, David transformed into his monster self, leapt onto Serenity, and forced all of his weight down on her so that she was pinioned against the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed. "Get off me maniac-monster!" She tried kicking her legs, turning her head left and right, but he held her arms to her sides, and restrained her legs with his. She didn't understand why she couldn't wake up and suddenly feared that she was awake already. He shoved her face to the side, reaching down to tear open her jugular and watched the blood spurt out as Serenity squealed in pain. Paul jumped off the bed in surprise.

"Whoa! What the fuck? I thought we weren't going to kill her?"

David continued on, putting his mouth over the wound, gulping down the spilling blood as if it were the last in the world. The other two heard the commotion and came rushing in to see, shocked to find their leader draining the girl dry.

"David, why are you doing this?" Marko asked, getting no response. He was the only one that their leader had spilled the beans to about Max's need to have them follow the girl and not kill her, but beyond that, the reason as to why had never been explained. Now he watched curiously and soon Serenity's hands went limp and lifeless as the others looked about in agony from the smell of blood and confusion. David propped himself up, casually wiping the mess away from his chin. Not one of the others said a word, but looked on at what seemed to be a living dead girl.

It took a minute, the four of them staring on, eager to see what would happen and then…a heartbeat. As if animated, Serenity's eyes popped open and she took a deep breath.

"You didn't turn her did you?" Marko asked, and innocent questioning drawn on his face as he frowned down at the girl. Something about her caused something inside of him to flicker, drawing out a kind of hunger that urged him to take a taste of her without hurting her. But for the time being, he decided to keep those feelings to himself.

"Bastard!" she exclaimed, popping up like an animated corpse brought back from the dead as the others still looked on in disbelief. She tore off the blanket and pounced on David like a cat on a mouse. Her eyes glowed yellow and orange with anger as she hit him like a sack of oats attempting to take him down to the ground, tearing at his flesh with her nails digging deep, causing small trickles of blood all over his face and neck. "I'm not a toy!"

The other three jumped in, pulling her off, still kicking and thrashing her nails in an attempt to hit every target in their path. "Will you chill out?" Paul exclaimed. "It's not like you're dead."

They pinned her down on the bed while David collected himself and calmly settled back down beside the unruly girl. Tears trickled down her cheeks as he looked upon her with no thoughtful consideration.

"You should be thanking me," he said, suddenly fading out of her view as once again everything went black.

Serenity shot up in bed gasping for air as she coughed violently. Her room was chilled and dark, but at least it was her room. She flipped the lamp on and rubbed her throbbing neck. It made her feel woozy and to her dismay there was dried blood still on her shoulder. Now she wished that she had let Howie stay. She covered her face with her hands fighting the urge to break out in tears. "I'm not going crazy…I'm not going crazy…shit!"

She turned to the night table and picked up the package her little post office messenger had brought and ripped it open. Inside was an envelope sealed with wax, which she also tore open and unfolded finding the letter she had been waiting for.

Serenity,

We are the ones dedicated to a higher purpose. We're fighters for truth, justice and the American way. We realize that you have been searching for answers and hope that we can be of the utmost assistance to you in the fight between good and evil. If you want these answers, you must meet with us ASAP! Come to the comic book store on the boardwalk. But we must warn you, please use discretion by coming to the back door and knocking three times. We hope we are not to late for you as we feel there is another force pulling you in the wrong direction.  
Death to all vampires!

Signed,  
The Frog Brothers

She dropped the letter in disgust. This is what she had been waiting for, a recruit letter? Even the vampires, scary and as haunting as they could be, seemed more realistic than an organization that called themselves the Frog Brothers. She got out of bed and slipped into a robe before tiptoeing through the kitchen and opened the sliding glass door to step out onto the deck. The night was warm and she decided that a cushioned lawn chair would be more comforting than her bed that night. She sat, delighted in the sweet smell of the air and gazed up at the stars pondering her next move until she fell asleep once more.

The sun woke her around ten am, beaming down with its hot heavy rays causing her to sweat a little, but she didn't care. It felt like it had been ages since she had seen the sun, so she sat, bathing herself in its warm glow. From the deck she could see the beach buzzing with life forms of people in their bikinis, little kids with beach balls and a few sand castles. The smell of sun tan lotion wafted in and out through the light winds, and a few drunks left over form the night before waddled back into the confinements of their homes. It was a good day to do nothing until the night lurked again, bringing questions and disorder. But by nightfall she was ready for action, and had decided to check out the Frog Brothers, for mere amusement if anything.

By the time she got to the boardwalk she could sense that her abductors were near, stalking her every movement as she wavered through the people. No matter how fast she walked, they stayed with her. She finally stopped in an open spot of the crowd, not bothering to look behind her, and let them come closer.

"What's the matter girly, don't you trust us?" Paul asked, nudging her side as the four of them circled her in unison.

"Don't call me that. You're the ones harassing me."

Marko stepped in front of her. "What's not to trust? We were just having a little fun." Serenity could barely blink, frozen, starring into his beautiful blue-green eyes, but she managed to pull her hair away from her neck exposing the bruise there.

"You call this a little fun?" She could tell by the look on his face that it both agitated and excited him, but before she could push him aside David put a hand on her shoulder and turned her sharply towards him. She angrily brushed it off. "Don't touch me!"

"Hey, take it easy," he whispered.

"Now why on earth should I do that?" She put her hands on her hips. "Was I dreaming last night, or was I really in that cave?"

"Oh you were there." He glanced down at the paper in her hands. "Going somewhere?" As he said this, the dark haired one she hadn't had the pleasure of getting a name from stepped behind her, as if he would stop her from leaving.

"It's my business, not yours," she rolled her eyes and looked back over her shoulder. "You're a man of many words I can tell, but just because we had an accident encounter, doesn't mean you can bully me. Or is this your idea of making friends, cuz it really sucks."

"Name's Dwayne," he whispered gruffly.

Serenity nodded. "Good to know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Yes I see, the Frog Brothers. Not a wise choice," David told her, unruffled by her sass.

She broke through the other boys who made no attempt to stop her. "Well, it's my choice to make isn't it?"

"Why don't you stick around and tell us more about that symbol, why you should have died last night and didn't," David continued, purposely testing the waters of her attitude, seeing as he already knew the reason.

Serenity glared and turned around, tempted to flip him off. "Go to hell!"

"Come on lil'sis, tell us what it means," Paul said eagerly, half following her, Marko close behind him.

"It means I'm gifted!" she spouted smartly, not paying attention to where she was going until the collision between her and a tall gentleman were inevitable. At least that's what his appearance said from first glance, but as she apologized for running into him and overwhelming feeling of doom sank down to the pit of her stomach. She backed away from him quickly almost tucking herself back in against the boys. He wore glasses and dressed like a family businessman, carrying all the attributes of a normal person and was followed by a big white German Shepard. Serenity new right away that he was another vampire, just from his scent, but this one scared her more than the boys.

"Are these boys bothering you?" he asked politely.

For the first time, Serenity wanted to hide behind David, a man…or vampire she barely knew. She gulped, shaking her head. Was this really happening? Somehow still she couldn't believe that vampires existed, even as she sensed that they did simply by their smell and something else she couldn't quite put a finger on. "Nnn…no."

"You sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. His dog brushed past him, walking casually up to Serenity and licked her hands. "Ah, a natural dog person, I like that."

"Uh, yeah," she shrugged, shaking her head, trying to get the dog to stop licking her. "I get that a lot."

"Thorn stop it!" The man said quite sharp, causing her to jump. "Well, if you're sure you're all right, we'll be on our way." He gave David an abrupt look and motioned for the dog. As soon as they were out of sight Serenity took a breath as though she had been holding it under water.

Marko turned to her first. "You ok?" he asked, holding back his laughter. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"He's no good, no good at all," she muttered. "Pure…vampire…evil."

"And you knew that?" Paul whaled. "Max, the head…" David motioned for him to keep his tongue, and he was quickly silent, for a moment. "So about that tatt…" he continued anxiously.

She paused and turned around giving the four of them a tortured, pleading look. "Can one of you just tell me what's going on? I came here for a vacation, not a trip down psychopath lane. I mean," she looked away and then raised her hands towards Marko. "How do I know instinctively what you are and why am I only half afraid of what you might do to me?"

"That's what we'd like to know," David said, giving little response to her obviously troubled feelings. "Why don't you tell us about that tattoo and the little power you have that defies death."

Confusion scrambled her brain like an ice pick would through the eye. She didn't even know herself, how could she possibly tell them? "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone." She pushed them off once more, glancing up at Marko as she turned to leave and he caught her with his eyes and the slightest hint of a smile that formed on his lips. Not only did she understand what these boys were, but there was also something more familiar about this one that stood out. It yanked her insides like a puppet on strings trying to draw her nearer to him and the truth. "I don't know anything," she whispered moving on.

On down the line, the comic book store looked dark and empty when Serenity finally found it again, but she went to the back door anyway and proceeded to knock as the letter requested. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Five minutes later, still no answer. She was about to give up when suddenly with a jerk, the door opened to a crack. "We don't want any more girl scout cookies!" The young guy yelled, barely peeking through.

"I'm not here about cookies," she insisted holding up the letter. "I came for this."

He squinted and frowned, still suspicious, and slowly opened the door to let her in. "Sorry bout that, we just can't be too careful around here with all the ghouls and vampires roaming around."

"Yeah, it happens a lot with girl scouts." Serenity said half sarcastic while she shook her head. "Man I hate that."

"Look lady, this isn't a joke, you're either in or you're out," he declared as they walked further into the shop, bypassing rack after rack of comic books.

"You haven't even told me anything yet, how am I supposed to know either way?" She asked, pulling her fingers over a few of the comics as they came to a halt and another young guy entered the room holding a squirt gun.

"Hey Alan," the first guy said, "This little girl thinks she has what it takes to kill vampires."

"Wait, what? No!" she shook her head and threw her hands up in disagreement "That's not why I'm here." But before another word was spoken, Alan doused her good with the water in the squirt gun. Serenity squealed and shrieked, shielding herself with her arms in an attempt to keep from getting wet as she backed quickly towards the door.

But the boy kept at it as if he wouldn't be satisfied until she was completely drenched. With no where to turn and agitated to the max, she finally yelled, "Stop!" Startled, he quickly dropped the gun. "You guys are nuts," she continued, shaking her hands free from some of the water. Both of the boys looked at each other in all innocence as if it were no big deal then back at her.

"Like I told you before, we can't be too careful when it comes to…" the first guy started, but Serenity was quick to stop him.

"No. Please. I heard you the first time." Her voice was disgruntled as she continued to shake the water from her shirt.

"Oh…yeah…right." He looked from her to the ground and hesitated as if his mantra on repeat had been damaged.

"Actually, this is why I'm here." With a bit of renewed confidence, she handed him the letter and took a deep breath. "Should I call you Frog Brother or?"

"Edgar, name's Edgar," he said, altogether serious as he adjusted the bandana he wore across his forehead while looking strangely down at the letter.

"Well Edgar, you sent that to me, and I was hoping you could help me find what I've been looking for."

He studied the letter long and hard, oohing and awing over it as if it were five pages long, and after that he simply said, "This is a recruit letter. If you got this, it was by mistake. We didn't send it to you."

"Yeah but, it has your signature on it right there," she pointed.

"I know, I'm sorry, but it must have been sent to the wrong address, Miss…?"

"Serenity," she sighed, now looking a bit hopeless. "Then you really have no idea why I'm here." She paused for a moment, thinking that if they dealt with the supernatural, showing them one of her secrets might help. She searched the small room and snatched an army knife off one of the counters. The boys frowned and looked at each other but before they could protest about having their personal weapons tampered with, Serenity turned her arm over and jabbed the blade of it straight down into her artery, giving a slight moan, and ran it down the length of her arm.

Edgar reached out to stop her half befuddled with a dim glare on his face. "Shit Alan, this girls gone off the deep end."

As soon as her blood started to trickle down and drip to the floor the wound healed. Serenity sighed and half smiled amused by their bewilderment.

Alan squinted, still in shock. "Uh…we don't deal with your kind of…supernatural."

Her smile faded and she put the knife down. "So you really can't do anything?" she asked. Deep down she felt a frustrated scream rising to the surface. "So I came here and got doused in Holy water for nothing?" She waited a moment, tapping her fingers on the counter and then snatched the letter none to politely out of Edgar's hands. "Guess I'll go home and change."

"Wait, how did you know it was Holy water?" Alan asked, taking a step towards her.

"Would it matter?" she huffed.

"It would if you were a vampire," Edgar persisted. "Have you been given anything unusual to drink lately? Sunlight freak you out? Bad breath, long fingernails?"

She looked at her fingernails oddly, frowning and biting her lower lip, then tucked her hands away behind her back, folding up the letter and stuffing it in her back pocket. "No…" was she unsure, she thought, who knows what they did to her in the cave that night. "But I do have a tattoo here on my inner right thigh," she continued, holding her leg up and rubbing the spot.

"Tattoo?" Alan questioned. "What does that have to do with turning into a vampire?"

Serenity growled. "I'm not turning into a vampire. I've been in the sun all day, see?" She pulled her shorts down a bit on the hip revealing half of her bikini line. The boys froze with a blank stare until Serenity noticed and quickly pulled her shorts straight. "Anyways I've had it forever, and someone just told me recently it meant great power, or something like that."

"Your bikini line?" Edgar asked.

She rolled her eyes. "No, freak, the tattoo. It's a medieval code of arms with the symbols of the Griffon and the Unicorn on it in silver and green. Ring a bell for either of you?"

Edgar frowned. "I've never heard of anything like that." He looked at his brother who nodded in agreement. "I think someone's telling you stories."

"Fine. But I'm sure if I said I killed someone last night because I was craving blood you'd stake me right now, huh?" She glared at the two who said nothing, and then made haste towards the back door before they could say another word. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."

"Uh…we'll call you if anything comes up," they both yelled in unison as she exited the premises.

Just outside the little shop, she found a seat on a bench and sat for a minute, pulling at her wet t-shirt.

"David told you they were useless," came a voice beside her, causing her to jump again before finding it was Marko.

"Where'd you come from?" she asked, half annoyed that he had scared her. She looked at him, studying her, and smiled. "You're brave, sitting outside the ferocious hunters hut," she joked.

He leaned in closer to her with an all-knowing smile. "Are you going to tell them I'm out here?"

"Heck no, I'd probably get staked. As you can see, I'm covered in Holey water." He flinched and backed away a little. "Don't worry, I doubt it's dangerous to you as long as it's on me."

"Well in that case…" He daringly swiped his gloved hand down her chest and gave her a wicked smile when he found it didn't burn his fingertips.

"That's a lousy excuse for copping a feel," she teased. "I bet I know all about your dangerous ways though. Just one time I'd give in to that allure, that's all it would take and poof, I'd be gone."

"Just poof huh?" he laughed mocking her, finally allowing himself to take in the sweet smell of her scent. She was right though he could and would willingly drink her life away given the chance.

She shoved his shoulder back with one hand and giggled. "Yeah, poof, just like that. A full meal deal baby."

He laughed again. "Not you. I couldn't." Suddenly the humor ceased as his face turned serious while watching her expressions play out. Aside from the fact that Max had said no, he knew there was another reason he actually meant those words and it troubled him.

"Sure you could." She looked at him half serious, debating whether or not to ask him why. "It's what you do. What you would have done that night with pleasure if David hadn't said no. Admit it, I'm only alive because I'm gifted."

He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "Among other things, you liked it."

Her eyes misted and she sighed, feeling his breath on her neck. "I like it right now," she whispered, pulling away with regret. "But I have to go." She stood quickly for fear he would control her with his mind, convincing her otherwise and he stood with her.

"Let me take you home," he said. "My motorcycle is just over there." He motioned towards the end of the boardwalk.

She grabbed hold of the front of his jacket with both hands pulling him close to her again, which surprised him. "I can't let you do that," she sighed. "I don't even know you, and I'm not sure who I can trust right now. I mean, I want to…trust you, but I have to be sure." She blinked. What the hell was she saying? She wanted to trust a vampire?

"Then let me take you home," he insisted, peering into her eyes and giving a smile that made her weak in the knees.

She returned the gesture, letting go of his jacket and backed away. "Next time."


	5. White Rabbit

The second day came and went with the rising and setting of the sun and Serenity slept on and off the entire day through. The letter she had thought would be her salvation had turned out to be nothing but a scam, from who she wasn't sure. Question after question rolled around inside her head and the very reason she had come to this seaside town was starting to become obscure. One minute it was vacation and the next she thought that the answers to all her questions would be here, but why? The strange pull she had felt the first night had led her straight into a group of vampires and now it was taking her right back to them against her better judgment. When the pitch black of night fell over the town, she was on her horse headed towards the cave she had been kidnapped and taken to in her sleep. How she remembered the exact route in detail was something she would worry about later.

She tied the Black among the rocks just above the entrance and found her way down the rickety old staircase to the opening of the vampires' lair. The entrance was wide enough but rough with fallen rocks and debris washed in from the oncoming waves, creating a downhill slide for the girl as soon as she stepped in. Down she went over the rough path, tripping over the boulders that served as stairs, and literally ran into an old broken fountain littered with candles of plenty, a few hanging doodads, and a radio. To her left sat a red toolbox and a little further over in the corner was the bed she had laid in where David had taken her life without remorse.

The memory filled her with anger more than fear, and she held the backs of her arms, rubbing them as she moved on slowly through the cave to the couch near the fountain. "Hello?" she called. Her voice was meek in comparison to her usually strong willed personality, but she hadn't exactly been pleasant to them the night before. Perhaps they were still out doing what vampires do best. The thought made her cringe and yet she found her voice once more, yelling out a little louder this time. "David?"

Her voice echoed over the walls causing the small hanging starfish and bones to jingle from the vibration, or perhaps it was the small breeze that blew in when she said David's name. That in itself was eerie enough, but either way, it was evident no one was around. She turned to go and suddenly heard a sound like wind or bats whistling through the cave, followed by hooting and hollering and it was coming straight at her.

All at once panic set in and the idea was rethought fast as she tripped over her feet, unsure of what they might do if they thought for a second she had been snooping around their domain. She turned in circles like a rabid dog until Marko stood in front of her and she caught herself on his shoulders. "Looking for something?" he asked playfully, half amused by her lack of control.

"Home sweet home!" Paul exclaimed shortly after, landing with a thud on the dirt floor as Dwayne automatically began to light the few burn barrels scattered around the cave while eyeing Serenity.

"No luck at the Frogs?" he asked.

Serenity shook her head no and immediately took her hands off Marko's shoulders. "I need to talk to David."

"No worry Lil' Sis, he's coming in right behind us," Paul said in all sincerity, flopping down on the couch while picking up a motorcycle magazine.

"Can I get you anything?" Marko asked, flashing a half sexy smile.

"No." It was a simple answer and she meant it, but his smile caught her and she couldn't resist a little sass. "But you can get out of my way."

"Someone's feisty tonight," Dwayne whispered from the back.

Marko seemed offended, and a little hurt since their small interlude earlier had seemed somewhat fruitful. "Dude, what's with the attitude?" he snapped back.

"Well, to put it bluntly, I have a hard time adjusting to the fact that you want to make nice now, especially since you were going to eat me! Guess I'm lucky that I have a special talent for coming back to life huh? Or otherwise your give it to me smiles and gorgeous blue eyes and all those little mind tricks you have would be the death of me. I already hate that about you. And I've had a lot of time to think today."

With that being said, Marko got right in her face with a sudden onslaught of rage that only made him that much more alluring. "What's to stop me from killing you now? I'm sure there's a way to put your fire out good and permanently, since you're the one who interrupted MY dinner!"

Serenity rolled her eyes and looked away, fighting the urge to shiver. "Boo hoo, you interrupted my ride. But I'll be sure to warn the victim next time about attractive young guys in dark alleys, never any good." She looked back into his eyes, glaring. He was a killer, an unknown, but God she wanted him, and they were close enough now that their noses almost touched.

"That's ok," he mocked, pushing her back a little. "You're not my type."

Serenity shoved him back or tried to at least. "You're a poor liar." She couldn't help but let out a little giggle to ward off any fear that would rise from challenging him, but as she continued to shove at his rock hard body, she ended up heaving him backwards. It sent him flying across the room just as David walked in. She gasped in surprise, and her mouth dangled open before she covered it with both hands. "Oh my God, what just happened?" She started to move towards the fallen boy but he rose like a hellhound, with glowing, amber eyes as he showed his true form. Serenity trembled but couldn't find the will to move as if she were a deer frozen in headlights before he tackled her to the ground.

Paul of course had been paying close attention to the little coo going on between his vampire bud and the witty pretty girl, as well as Dwayne, watching from the back of the cave. He rolled his eyes from one to the other, half disgusted from the hint of foreplay in the air, before he moved closer, folding his arms in amusement. There was more to this girl than he had expected, and to hear her gasp under Marko's weight made him hungry for something more. Her blood was unusual, that was fact and it sang with its sweet scent. He could tell even Paul's mouth was watering from where he stood.

"I didn't know I could do that," she squealed. Her heart raced as he moved in raking his teeth against her throat, no doubt causing every vamp there to go crazy with blood lust. She groaned as he lifted her arms above her head and held them down, still nuzzling her neck just below her earlobe. She felt the sharp pinch of his fangs as he bit down, tensing her body for a second until a dizzy sensation of pure ecstasy overcame her and she relaxed. "Marko," she groaned as he kissed away the little blood he had drawn. He urged her to look at him as he reverted back to his human disguise. Whatever fear she had was far-gone and she wanted more of him. Instead he just grinned, lifting her roughly by the arms to her feet.

"Now you know what happens when you push me," he whispered in her ear, gently pushing her back towards the couch.

"Sit," David said, acting as though he was not pleased by what he had just seen. She sat down across from him nervously looking back every few seconds to see Marko, who took a seat next to Paul. "Relax," he continued. "Care for a smoke." He offered a joint but she refused.

"No thanks, I don't smoke."

Paul slugged Marko in the arm and inched closer to her on the dusty couch, giving her reason to turn her head. She chewed her bottom lip as she studied him as if she knew him from long ago, but it didn't seem to faze him much as he picked up a dirty magazine. The words on the inside mattered little to Paul, but the half naked, young beauties on the other hand were a different story.

"It would take the edge off," David muttered as if to continue the semi conversation they had started.

"Yeah I bet," she mused, finally turning back to David.

David said nothing and sat back in his throne of a wheelchair watching as Serenity pondered for another moment, shaking her head to clear her thoughts as though she had become intoxicated with whatever drug Paul might have been on just by sitting next to him. Or had it been the leftover smoke in the air from David's? At long last she pulled the anonymous, yet well-known letter out and flicked it into his lap. "You send that to me?" she asked in a tone of voice that begged him to say yes. At that point Dwayne joined them, taking a seat on the opposite side.

"I thought you said this was none of our business." He proceeded to unfold it with a gleam in his eyes that confirmed he loved to see her squirm with anticipation, and after looking at it for a mere second, chuckled quietly. "Sorry kid I wouldn't go to the trouble if I wanted you here." There was a sudden pause in the moment and before she knew it he was at her side whispering in her ear. "Don't get me wrong, I do want you here." She turned hastily to see him only to find that he was still in the wheelchair, causing her to frown and rub her eyes in confusion. The other boys including Paul, filled the room with sarcastic laughter. There was no doubt she had inhaled something, she thought, what else would explain these delusions, minus the good old mind fuckery.

"But, you knew about my tattoo, which only makes me believe that it was you, or how else would you have known exactly where to look for it?" she continued, trying to hide her puzzlement.

"And feel free to show it to us again any time," Paul said, reaching back to put his arm around her, failing, as she flinched away.

At that moment it seemed as though David had pulled a sort of green tinted bottle covered in jewels out of thin air, and again came an offering. "Wine?" The other boys began their laughter again, except Marko, who now looked a bit distraught, but Serenity only stared hard at David, knowing full well now his trickster ways.

"Poison is not the answer." Sudden silence and then hysterical laughter from all except her. "It's not funny!" She demanded. "I want to know what's going on.

Paul leaned into her at last. "Chill out girl. It's not poison, but I wanna know how the hell you tossed Marko across the cave."

"I don't know." It was an honest answer and she shrugged, turning into him with her chin down in order to avoid his eyes. "Actually, I didn't mean to do that…I don't think." Finally, she let herself catch his eyes and ran her finger under his chin playfully. "But I can tell you want to know what I'm all about. You game?"

"Listen kid, I already told you, I didn't send you the dam letter!" It was David who broke the swoon Paul seemed to have over the girl by his exclamation of words as she turned her attention back to him.

"Then why did you bring me here? Why did you kill me if you didn't know I would come back? You might have just killed me under the rocks that night instead."

He looked away disgusted. "I was curious, that's it."

"Right."

"Look kid, it's not every day you meet someone who can put a cross to our skin and not have it burn. I've seen tattoo's like that before, heard about some ridiculous power that comes with them. I never believed it to be true, so I gave it a shot."

Serenity shook her head, appalled. "Boy you really are a heartless bunch aren't you?"

"Oh I wouldn't say that. You're just as curious as we are to know what your full abilities are. So now you tell me what you know, and maybe, just maybe we can work together."

Serenity pulled a small vial out of her jeans pocket and pulled off the lid as she turned once more towards Paul. "Fair enough. Then you won't mind if I do a little testing myself." She said rather straight faced as she threw the liquid onto his arm. "Holy water."

"Hey!" Paul yelped, jumping backwards off the couch while flailing his arms about. "That is so not cool!"

"Oh chill out, boy," she said mocking his words from earlier. "It's not going to do anything to you." She turned back to David with an innocent smile and a little shrug. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"God girl," Paul said blowing on his arm, realizing it was fine. "Psycho!"

Serenity giggled. "That's one little gift I think we've both discovered. Saving your asses from the big bad Holy water, crosses and whatever else might harm you. Can't for the life of me figure out why."

"And…?" Dwayne questioned.

"I can regenerate myself as you've seen. My cells have this amazing ability to just, well, pretty much stitch themselves back together. Yeah, I fell off a bridge once, big bridge too. The doctors couldn't figure out for the longest time, why I just popped back up. Go figure." She shrugged again. "Oh, and I can absorb powers from others. It's hard to explain, but when he bit me," she motioned towards David without looking at him, "I took his power. Course, he'd never know it."

She grabbed Paul's arm nonchalantly when he came closer once more, and rubbed it like someone rubbing a boo-boo on a youngster, patting it dry. He looked at her with a gleam in his eyes like an Angel had just touched him and smiled in amazement. "You're welcome. "She whispered, looking back to Marko, searching for what? Forgiveness? And for what, they didn't know each other. What was she to him other than a silly mortal with a few powers? Yet, she wanted to know if he felt this strange connection she felt they all had with her. "I came here looking for answers. I was drawn to you, but I have a feeling someone else in this city is looking for me, and I'm not so sure it's a good thing."

There was a long silence in the cave. David looked deep in thought, Marko seemed uncommitted, Paul just couldn't take his eyes off of her, and Dwayne awaited David's next move. Finally, after what seemed like hours, David spoke as though he knew what was going on but refused to say. "You should go home for now. Maybe pack your bags and be ready to get out of Santa Carla. We'll contact you when the time is right."

Serenity nodded and stood up slowly, hesitant to leave. These guys, in some strange and morbid way, were somewhat the only friends she had made and she didn't want to be alone, not now. Marko stood up with her and nudged her shoulder playfully with his, trying to break the serious tone. "I'll take you home this time," he smiled.

She smiled back at him and blushed. "No, I better just go for now. I have to take the Black back to the barn anyway. But thank you." She turned away and walked up the rocky path towards the rough exit allowing Marko to walk with her until it was time to break away entirely, then she said her good bye and took her leave.

Not even an hour later, she paced back an fourth in her room holding a couple of shirts in her hands, debating whether or not to put them in her little blue tattered bag. Thank God she was no high maintenance chick, because trying to lug around a heavy suitcase full of clothes while on the run would have been a disaster. But as it were, she carried little, which made packing easy. Her truck and trailer were already hitched, and all she had to do was load the Black and be on her way, yet the thought of that made her crazy. How could she leave now that she was a breath away from finding out what she had come for?

She threw the shirts down on the bed and pulled at her hair. The kitchen cabinet contained a lone bottle of spiced rum that called out to her as much as the night air that filtered all through the cabin. She ran to the kitchen, snatched the rum and took a swig of it straight from the bottle feeling a bit light headed as it traveled down her throat and sent a warm feeling straight to her knees. She took another swig breathing in the ocean air, and sat the rum down. No way in hell she wanted to be drunk alone. She wanted to be drunk with them.

"Arrgh" she growled, looking out the window at the sand, taking yet another drink of her liquid treasure. Screw it, she thought, already feeling the affects of the alcohol. Might as well get shit faced and pass out. The sun was rising, and she couldn't remember when she had eaten last.

She started to shut all the shades to make the place a perfect night when there was a knock at the door. She growled again under her breath moving reluctantly to open it only to find Howie on the other side. "No offense, Howie, but what could you possibly want?" she asked rubbing her eyes. "It's almost bed time."

"Well, aren't we bright and cheery," he said sarcastically with a sideways smile. "And in case you didn't notice, it's almost time to rise and shine."

Serenity yawned, suddenly feeling very drowsy and not quite in the mood to deal with peasants. "Uhh, I'm kicking you out now Howie, sorry."

He put his hands on his hips. "And here I thought you needed the sun to restore all your little powers."

Serenity frowned only half hearing him from the overwhelming dizziness buzzing in her head. "What did you just say?"

"Ah, never mind," he snorted, waving her away. She sighed and made for the bed not bothering to shut the door and sprawled out on the cold comforter. The room was spinning. Perhaps she should have eaten something, but it was too late, the dream world filled her head. Howie smacked his hands together, maliciously twisting his face. "Ah perfect," he whispered, moving towards the bed.

Serenity awoke with a throbbing headache in what looked like an oversized hotel room. The sun beamed in through the shades of an open window prickling her skin in its iridescent glow and oh how good it felt. It had been days in the dark night, living like a night crawler and her body needed rejuvenation. However, the drugs that they had given her, whoever they were, were not wearing off. She tried to get up only to heave and fall back down again.

A young man entered the room, tall and clean cut with dark hair, rather reserved. "Are you ready Serenity?" he asked casually, as if she knew him already.

Serenity put a hand to her head trying to clear her vision to see him straight. "Ready for what exactly? Who the hell are you and why am I here? And where is here?"

He was dressed in a black suit like some secret government operational, which sent chills up her spine. In this day and age, in her opinion, everything was a conspiracy and politics were not her game or knowledge. No, no, she would have chosen to stay with the fairy tales and the vampires. Let the government interrupt all that and chaos would ensue. "Just a few questions," he said. "Maybe some tests."

"What?" Serenity jumped up, her heart racing. They were going to dissect her! "No, no tests! Who the hell are you and why can't I see straight? What did you do to me?" She flailed about trying to find solid ground before the young guy grabbed her by the arm to steady her on the sofa. "Don't touch me! I don't know who the fuck you are!"

"Serenity calm down." He tried to grab her other arm but with no avail as she continued to fight. "Or I can have the other guys come in and give you more drugs."

Serenity froze staring blankly at the ground, still trying to clear her vision, hoping that the sun would soon take over. She was tired and scared, really scared.

"I didn't do anything wrong," she winced, a few wild tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Of course not," he continued rubbing her arm like he cared. "This will all be over soon."

"Then why am I all drugged up?" She sobbed. Boys, where are you, she thought, I need your help. No use in calling out to them though, it was pure gold outside and not a vampire in sight. She hesitated for a moment, feeling as though the effects of the drugs were finally wearing off.

"Those are to keep you from doing anything you might regret later," he said sounding overly persuasive.

Serenity turned her head towards him in a cat like manner. "I didn't ask to be here in the first place," she hissed. "So tell me exactly why I'm here or I'll do much more than what I'd regret later."

He looked at her half annoyed and yet satisfied at the same time. "Good, I see you're coming to. Time to move on." He got up and went to the door ringing a small bell that sat just beside it on a small table and in popped Howie. Serenity gulped and looked up at her comedian stalker half bewildered. He carried yet another syringe full of a yellow fluid that she guessed was only another sedative of some sort.

"I think I'm gonna puke," Serenity gasped, holding her stomach in one hand doubling over. This came like a kick in the guts. Dam him for knowing too much, she thought, trying to map out an escape plan. She picked herself up, resting her head in the palm of her hand. "What the hell, Howie, I thought you were my friend."

He sat down beside her holding the needle high, like a proud soldier with a gun and patted her knee with his opposite hand. "All you had to do was date me," he giggled. "Than this would have been so much easier." He leaned forward to stick the needle in her arm and she flinched. "Oh, and this nifty stuff," he crinkled his nose. "It has something to do with your spinal fluid and paralyzing your ability to use those nifty little powers of yours. Well, at least long enough for us to study you a bit."

Serenity tightened her muscles, now aggravated. She focused on the sunlight shining down on the floor. Surely if a vampire ability couldn't help her now, it could. She closed her eyes for a moment straining hard to see the room clearly. Her temples flared, pupils dilated in a yellowish, orange glow. "You are not going to use me as your lab rat!" She raged, effortlessly knocking the syringe from his hands and sent it flying across the room.

"Oh great," Howie moaned. "Hey Duke, you better get over here, help me hold her down." The other younger man broke away from the door rushing over to aid Howie, but Serenity sprinted away from them like a spirited Puma and perched perfectly on the dinning room table.

"I don't like this game," she growled. "At least when vampires chase me, they're straight forward." She stood up straight on the table and stretched into the sun.

"Nimbly little minx isn't she," Duke retorted.

Serenity turned on him glaring through her rough orange eyes, much more like a vamped out vampire. "Thank you. I'm feeling much better. You know the next time you want someone to respond in a respective manner, you might want to consider not abducting and drugging them first."

Howie laughed in spite of himself. "Oh, Serenity honey, it's ok, we've got what, five more guys on their way up here. Yeah, there's no out for you whether you like it or not."

Serenity crouched back down on all fours. "Bring it on!"

Before Duke or Howie had the chance to get close enough, she sprung over them like a leopard on acid plummeting to the floor and rolling into the door, still half dazed from the drugs, but it did the trick. The door was open and her freedom called. She got to her feet, shaking it off and ran down the hall blind as a bat trying to find her way out of the maze of corridors. She stumbled here and there, hearing the heavy footsteps of men behind her. Was this stuff ever going to wear off? She couldn't find the dam exit, and there were far too many potted plants around to stumble over.

Finally, she found a vacant room and hid just inside the doorway. Maybe this would be a safe enough hiding spot until they thought she had deserted the premises. She backed away from the door with a sigh of relief only to have someone grab her from behind. Alarmed, she kicked and tried to scream.

"Hey, chill out, it's me, Alan." He held his hand over her mouth hoping it would keep her from alerting the guards. "You know, the guy from the comic book store." Slowly she settled and he let her go, only to have her turn around and punch him a good one right in the gut. "Oh shit," he groaned, falling to the floor holding his stomach.

Serenity took a good look at him and blinked the color away from her eyes. He was dressed in one of the same suits Howie and Duke had on. "You scared the crap out of me!" She scolded before offering him a hand back up. "Don't ever do that again."

"Much obliged," he replied, recovering. "Look, we gotta get you out of here. I've been doing some research on that tatt of yours. Turns out, you're more important than anything we've ever come across. Here put this on." He handed her a wig, a pair of sunglasses and a long colorful trench coat. "Which is probably why these guys are after ya."

Serenity quickly put on the outfit without saying a word and followed Alan out towards an exit she had missed before. "If anyone asks, I'm escorting you to a holding facility," he continued. Anything to get far away from this place, Serenity thought.

They made it past the exit and guards with no harassment. "Special agent pieces of shit," Serenity whispered under her breath as one looked on as though he had heard her. She turned quickly back towards Alan. If they wanted a fight, they would for sure get one, because no one forced her into anything.

Once back at the comic book store, she sat at one of the far tables Edgar and Alan kept in the back. Finally void of the itchy wig, she sipped on some herb tea to help clear her blood of the drugs. It was a perfect spot too as the sun beamed in through the only window right onto her and she bathed herself in its warmth. Even with the blanket they had given her, she hadn't managed to keep warm. Must have been an after affect of the sedative.

"How's the tea," Edgar asked, setting a book down beside her on the table.

She sighed and lazily looked up at him. "Stinky herbs are a go." She looked out through the window at the people passing by on the boardwalk and thought about how lucky they were to be just normal, everyday people. She had actually started to like this whole gifted thing, but now she wasn't so sure.

Alan came in and sat down across from her with his usual opposing face but still nodded at her.

"And to think I'd still be there if it wasn't for you," Serenity said quietly, turning the mug on the table in her hands. "How the hell did you know I was there?"

"You did the right thing by finding us," Edgar blurted. "We've been looking up the significance of tattoos in European History, actually mostly the medieval coat of arms. As it turns out, throughout the ages there has been talk about this divine light being tucked away secretly in the souls of humans by the higher powers and they call them the chosen ones."

"Sounds like a glorified fairy tale," Serenity laughed.

"Well no one could ever find these people back because the secret remained hidden in people like you until it was needed," Alan quoted like a scholar. "They say that without this link to the higher power in our universe, the world would be dark. A permanent hell for night crawlers and demons alike." He paused for a moment, as Edgar flipped the page of the book, and then continued. "A tattoo in the form of a coat of arms was imprinted in these people's blood, so that one day when the lord of Darkness returned, these special people could rise up against him and save the universe."

Serenity put a finger to her temple and rubbed the achy spot she had there, clearing her throat. "You're trying to tell me that I am some chosen person with the ability to stop this evil guy from rising and this is why these government creeps want to study me?" She looked around the room a bit horrified and disbelieving. "I think I need a real drink."

"Well, were not completely sure, but yeah, that's what it looks like," Edgar said, closing his book. "Your powers should only get stronger. And if they are, that could only mean one thing."

Alan looked at him with a troubled expression. "There's a darkness present in this town."

Serenity shrugged. "You mean besides the obvious?" She looked back and forth innocently between the two. "Well what if something had happened and I wasn't exactly pure?" she asked, half fearful of what they might say.

"Oh I don't think having sex matters," Edgar replied, completely serious without a hint of awkwardness. "Does it?" he asked of Alan without even bothering to look at him.

Serenity shied away. "I wasn't really talking about that…"

Edgar hovered over her. "Well, what do you mean then?"

She fidgeted, twiddling her fingers for a moment. "I was kind of… bitten…by a vampire." She huddled into herself looking from him to the table, but to her amazement he appeared to be more shocked than anything.

"And you lived?"

She hunched back even more. "Well, not exactly."

"This is just fantastic," Alan glared. "We have the soul hope of the universe sitting here and she's been tainted."

"Hey, it's not like I just let it happen. They kidnapped me or abducted me, or whatever."

"Good," Alan declared. "You can take us to them. That'll be one less evil we have to deal with right now."

"I can't do that," she plainly said. "It's complicated."

"There's nothing complicated about killing vampires. It's a necessary element that must be taken care of." Alan went on, smacking his hands down on the table. "They kill people, plain and simple."

Edgar looked at her again. "Unless you're having some disoriented, absurd feelings for one. That would be bad."

She shrugged and looked away tapping her fingers on the table. It was true what he said, but that wasn't the reason of course. She just wasn't too sure she wanted to share the fact that their weapons would be useless on the vampires when she was around. Alan raised his lip as though he would growl. "How could you possibly?"

Edgar began to pace back and forth near the exit to one of the back doors when he stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, crinkling his nose as if he had just smelled a poisonous gas coming from their weapons room.

"What's up?" Alan asked.

Edgar turned to follow the smell with his nose. "You're not getting a whiff of that?" The stench took him back to their sacred artillery room, where he slowly opened the door to find over a hundred Egyptian Asps slithering about the place. Alan had gotten up from the table in a hurry to follow his partner in crime, leaving Serenity alone. He hovered over Edgar's shoulder.

"Holy Shit!" he exclaimed. "It's the attack of the slimy serpents!"

"Quick," Edgar said. "Get Serenity," but she had already slipped out the door.


	6. Coming Undone

Night had finally come, cloaking the world in darkness. But it had not come fast enough for Serenity as she hurried along the boardwalk in an attempt to get back to the Black before anyone from the nightmare agency caught up with her again. A fearful thought kept running through her mind, what if they had taken him too? She would never forgive herself for that. She tried to push the idea out of her mind but still it lingered, turning her in circles at every arcade game. Every booth character hovered over her like evil clowns, laughing in mock tones.

She moved quickly across the cement into the back parking lot, making her way towards the trail that would take her about a mile back to the barn, when suddenly the sound of a faint whistle hummed in her ears. She slowed to a jog and then a walk, cocking her head to the side, listening to the tune. It was a familiar ditty, old and sweet and reminded her of home and she began to sing it. _"Sweet dreams till Sundays find you…sweet dreams that leave your worries far behind you…"_ But no matter how she followed it, it never remained in the same spot.

She picked up the jog again, still humming the song as if it would bring the one who whistled it closer. _"But in your dreams whatever they be…dream a little dream of me."_ She kept the pace, glancing back behind her, not realizing the person who was whistling it was now in front of her and she smacked into him with a thud. It was the tall gentlemen she had accidentally bumped into a few nights back. She gulped, skipping backwards a step.

"Well, I can see someone's in a hurry tonight," he said calmly, adjusting his glasses. His canine companion leisurely stepped forward and took a seat at his feet, wagging his tail. Serenity froze. The fear that now gripped her seeing these two twisted the marrow in her bones. She couldn't pass this off as coincidence. It was too peculiar, like he had tapped into a distant memory of hers to lure her away. She looked down at the dog, growling beneath the surface of his perfect white coat and friendly visage, and there came that little voice inside her head that told her to run.

"No need to tell me twice," she whispered, ever doubtful that she could outrun the canine predator, even as she wheeled around to face the parked cars and made a mad dash back towards the ever- busy boardwalk. Max shook his head in dismay, commanding Thorn to stay as he took his phone from his pocket and speed dialed the number to one of his favorite employees. "Well that would just be too easy," he said, looking down at the dog. Thorn had lowered his head in disappointment for not being allowed to chase the girl.

Max fiddled impatiently with the keys in his pocket until there was an answer on the other end. "Oh good," he said jubilantly. "I was hoping you'd answer, Howie." He couldn't repress a satisfied smile. "I've found our girl and she's headed your way."

Serenity was halfway past the Giant Dipper when she finally decided to slow down a bit. Where were the good vampires when you needed them? If that is what you could call them. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. For all she knew they were all in on it.

She ducked into a back alley of sorts, just behind the ride, full of garbage and electrical wires running across the ground. Part of the power source to control the huge ride, she guessed. It would be the perfect place to avoid any toxic humans for a while, or vampires for that matter. She would give it about five or ten minutes and then slowly make her way back towards the parking lot.

She was cut short of such optimism when she heard a familiar comedic laugh and turned to see Howie standing behind her. "Where ya going love?" he asked with a delicate sweet smile on his face. "I mean you'd had to have known we'd find you again." He started to laugh.

"You're an asshole, Howie." She shook her head in disgust, and put her hands on her hips. "And to think I actually felt bad for not taking you out."

He shrugged, not even the slightest feeling exerting from his face. "Doesn't matter. You would've found the truth out eventually anyway. For a girl as smart as you, I can't believe you actually thought I was some dumb clown who worked at the post office." He reached into his black suit and pulled out a syringe.

Serenity couldn't help but quiver when she saw it. "I guess evil doesn't come color coded, does it?" She crouched down like a linebacker and lowered her head ready to charge with the onslaught of a bull; glaring into his eyes the same way she had done in the room. He mirrored her movements, remembering well the embarrassment. With a quick lissome jump, she darted to the left of him in an attempt to get past and hopefully knock him over in the process. The timing was wrong, however, and he lunged at her with the needle, nailing it dead center in the inner thigh of her right leg and she screamed, staggered backwards and fell to the ground.

Howie dismissed it. "Well I tried to tell you, no place to go for you but back to the lab." He counted to five thoughtfully with his fingers in the air, giving the drug time to sink into her bloodstream and moved to pick her up. He had no idea that a half starved vampire had been watching from above and now it was his turn to make a move. He blindsided the young man and took him in a chokehold from behind.

"You're wrong, sucker!" The dark voice growled rising back into the air with his meal in hand.

Howie grabbed at the claws clutching him as they dug deeper into his rib cage. "Serenity!" he gasped, but the outraged vampire wasted no time ripping into Howie's delicate flesh, gorging himself on the blood that spurted out. Not a sound came from his mortal victim after that, as the kill was too quick, and when he was finished he let the lifeless body plummet to the ground.

Serenity had crawled half blind to a corner of the alley, dragging her dead leg behind her. The needle had paralyzed it and again caused her vision to go blurry. Her thoughts were also fuzzy, as she couldn't remember where she was or what was happening.

Dwayne carelessly dragged Howie's useless carcass into the alley and propped him up against one of the 'Do Not Enter' gates. He would dispose of him later, unless the lab rat employees found him first, either way, he could care less.

He moved over and kneeled beside Serenity who was hiding her face with one arm and frantically pawing the air at him with the other. "Get away, get away!" she screeched. He quickly leaned over and yanked the needle from her thigh and she let out a yelp of pain. He cringed at the sight of it, possibly being the longest, largest needle he had ever seen.

He picked her up by her arms thinking now she would recognize him, but instead she fought against him. "No! No! Let me go!" she screamed, lifting her foot up swiftly to give him a sharp kick to the groin.

He let her go with a grunt and stumbled backwards. "Fucking shit!" he cursed.

Serenity rolled over onto her hands and knees and breathed heavy, her mind finally clearing. She looked up, for a second seeing two Dwayne's, then one. He was crouched over grabbing his knees.

"Dwayne?" she asked, half delirious. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"You fucking kicked me in the balls! That's what's going on."

Serenity bit her bottom lip, half ashamed, half scared he might chew her up for it and daringly crawled over beside him. "Dam! I thought you were…" She looked down the alley and saw Howie's broken, bloody body propped up like a mannequin and started to heave. "Did you?"

Dwayne grumbled. "This is just the beginning kid, better get used to it."

She wasn't sure what to feel, or how to think at that moment. One enemy was dead, and yet on the other hand, she wanted to mourn him. She hiccupped, fighting back a sob.

Dwayne got up away from the wall and offered her a hand. "Don't look at him. He's nothing for you to think about right now. Come on. David is calling. He wants you."

She froze for a second staring forward, as if she hadn't heard him and blinked the wetness away from her eyes. Without taking his hand she pushed herself up and started to walk back towards the parking lot. "I can't go there now, I have to make sure those bastards don't have my horse."

Dwayne walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "And what exactly would you do if they did?"

"Get him back!" Serenity huffed, bravely pushing his hand away.

Dwayne hesitated for a moment and then continued after her fighting back the urge to just snatch her up and haul her off to the cave kicking and screaming. "Wait!" he said, his voice low and gruff. "I'll take you there."

She turned to him and crossed her arms. "You think I need a body guard or something?"

"Obviously your little charms aren't working for you so well right now." He moved to pick her up as though he was going to lift off in flight, but she stopped him.

"No way am I flying. Isn't there an alternative?"

"Flying is faster," he argued.

She looked around, hesitant about being so close. Even though it had felt like a dream, the last time she had flown with one of them gave her jetlag for two days. She bit at her nails and kicked the ground with the ball of her foot, hoping he would change his mind. But he stood still, glaring down at her and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, Dam it all to hell…fine!"

Dwayne smiled. "I thought you'd see it my way." He wrapped his arms around her and took to the air. She wriggled in his grip trying to find a comfortable position without the unpleasant feeling of having to be so close, but it didn't matter either way, her head was plastered to his chest for the ride. She closed her eyes and took in his smell. It contained the same animalistic tone that Marko had with a bit of something else, leather. Yes, she thought, it must have been his jacket. It reminded her of her horse tack, but there was something distinct about his scent as well and she couldn't quite put her thumb on it. She sighed when he nudged her realizing her nose had been rubbing his bare skin and with slight embarrassment she prayed for land.

As soon as they entered the barn her first initial instinct was to run to the Black, but instead she walked, her vampire friend lurking quietly behind just in case some unfriendly foes happened to be about. The further down the isle they got the louder it got, and brighter, and she could hear her horse hitting the walls of his stall, making a terrible commotion.

She looked back at Dwayne for a moment to see him shielding his face from all the lights, and then took off down the corridor with a hell bound gleam in her eyes. But the noisy ruckus was not what she expected. There were photographers with cameras and news reporters all huddled around her stallion popping pictures in his face. He reared and bucked, kicking the wall again.

"Oh thank God you're here," Carla cried, running over to her. "It's a hell of a mess I tell you. I don't know where they all came from, but I couldn't get them to stay out or away. I tried, really I tried."

Dwayne had stepped out of the light as best he could with a stoic expression in spite of all the commotion.

"Serenity, Serenity!" One of the reporters yelled, pushing through the crowd around the horses stall, the gleam of light coming from his video camera all but blinding her. "Is it true that you've decided not to race the Black anymore? We heard rumors you were calling it quits."

She put her arm up over her face trying to get a better view. She glared at the reporter. "That's far from true. Where did you hear it?"

"So you're just here on vacation, giving the horse a well needed break?" the reporter asked. "We've heard reports that you said your horse was lame. Some people may think you're just afraid to run him."

The Black pinned his ears and longed at one of the cameramen, trying to sink his teeth into the flesh of his arm. Serenity ran to the front of the stall throwing her arms up to block anyone attempting to touch her horse. "Look guys, we're on our way to the Los Alimitos racetrack, this was just a pit stop for a well needed break. And as you can see, my horse is far from lame."

Serenity glanced back at Dwayne, who had grabbed Carla by the arm and taken her into the shadows with him. She could not quite tell what he was doing, but it worried her. A quick meal of Carla was not on her list of good deeds for the night, especially with all the dam reporters around.

"Is it true that someone else has ridden him?" Another one piped up. "All this time we've been told you were the only one that could ride him." Serenity was still looking towards Dwayne, lost for words, and at the same time the crew caught sight of him and turned their attention in his direction. "You, you over there. We have witnesses that report they saw you on the back of this horse. Is that true?" His eyes flashed amber in the light and he started to back away from the cameras knowing full well there would be hell to pay if he got caught in the media, let alone show up on one of their cameras. Serenity hopped in front of them, trying to divert their attention.

"There's no way you guys can prove that," she said, irritated. "Now will you please leave before you really do give my horse a break down."

"Just a few more pictures please, Serenity," another said, moving to the front of the stall. The Black shook his head angrily and reared up over the stall door, striking the wood with his foreleg and knocking the camera out of the guy's hands. "My camera," he whined, reaching for it.

"I told you all to get out!" Serenity yelled, moving to push the guy out of the way. Instead she tossed him clear down the isle right into a pile of fresh manure, without even laying a figure on him. Her eyes went wide and she gasped. The other crewmembers went running after him, amazed by what they had just seen. "This is not good." She felt of her forehead as though feverish, suddenly having a quick sharp pain in her gut and ran to Dwayne's side. To the naked eye it looked like he and Carla were having a private conversation, but in reality he had been feeding on her. "What the hell are you doing?" She hit him in the arm with the side of her fist as hard as she could. "You can't just kill her, she has a purpose!"

He let go of Carla and turned on Serenity. She stumbled back against the hay aghast, as his face had completely changed. Her heart pounded, and again came the twinge of pain in her gut, causing her to double over, but only for a second before Dwayne picked her up and pinned her against the bales. Carla followed behind him in a daze, staring blankly off into space as though nothing and no one else was around her.

"And just what's so special about the blood in your veins?" he hissed, squeezing her tighter.

"Uuh," she let out a breath as though it were her last, and her head hung to the side touching her right shoulder. "You can't kill her…" she said drifting into unconsciousness.

Dwayne curled his lips into a snarl and let her fall against him. "Figures," he grumbled, turning back to Carla and reverting back to his normal face. "Get these video freaks out of here," he growled. "Make sure nothing happens to that horse. I'll be back." Carla blindly agreed waving good-bye, her face still blank as Dwayne exited the barn making his way towards Serenity's cabin. On the way, he sent David a mental message.

_Something is wrong with the girl. I'm taking her back to her place._

_Don't let anyone in. We will meet you there. _David had replied.

Serenity was weightless in his arms, still he hand no care to dig through her pockets in search of keys. With one easy kick, the door flew open and he carried her to bed. He could feel her heart racing as though it would burst. It's sweet sound pounded in his ears like heavy drums. Yet she laid still, her breath slow but not labored. Her skin however had turned red hot. He imagined it as coals warming his preternatural skin. What a shame not to be able to taste her blood. Rip her open and feed on the sweet energy there inside. His eyes turned amber for a minute, half tempted to tell David it was an accident. What kind of accident could he possibly make up?

He got up from the bed with a grumble. Lame ass Howie hadn't been enough for him tonight. He needed more than just an appetizer, and Carla for the moment was off limits. Wasn't this Marko's job anyway, playing errand boy. Babysitting was not one of his specialties, and Marko could have just as easily saved the day for this mere mort. But then he knew she wasn't just average. The question that plagued him was why David wanted her saved so badly. He sobered and sat down in front of the TV not far from the bed, propping one foot up on the stool and flipped through the channels with the remote.

About a half hour later there came a knock from outside. The door opened and Paul swung himself in, holding onto the top of the frame. "Ah so nice to have an ongoing invite," he cheered, walking casually around the room. "Hey, I knew I left this here!" He exclaimed, snatching one of his shirts off the table in the kitchen.

Marko came in followed by David, who had to put his cigarette out first. "What the hell took you so long?" Dwayne grumbled.

"Fresh blood and tight ass." Paul sang, slugging Dwayne in the shoulder.

Dwayne just glared. "I'm dam near starving here. You couldn't save some for me or bring me something?"

"It was his lame idea," Marko said, hurrying over to sit next to Serenity on the bed. "What'd you do to her?"

"I saved her ass is what I did. That idiot friend of hers gave her something. She was fine at first and then she just passed out."

David nonchalantly made his way over to the other side of the bed, slipping his gloves off and put a hand to her forehead. "We need to find out where she's been." He raised his eyebrows looking to his fledgling that sat on the other side of her. "Marko?"

Marko took his gloves off and leaned over her, taking one of her hands in his. "You want me to taste her?"

"The answers are in the blood. You know that." David continued, taking his hand back to lean against the night table.

"You drained her. She's been marked…" Marko hesitated.

"No, Marko, I didn't." David leaned in closer and whispered over the girl. "Her mind is locked. The only thing I got from her was what she ate the night before. She seems to have taken a liking to you. Maybe you're the key."

Marko looked down at Serenity taking in her sweet smell, and the sound of her burdened heart. He bent forward, running his nose along the small of her neck. It felt softer than feathered down. He put one hand to her chest as if he had to hold her down and gently pressed his fangs into her vein. The hot liquid stung his tongue with traces of poison as he drank, but the taste was divine, sweet and spicy blended together with energy so magnificent, he lost himself in it, clutching at her shoulder with his other hand. He was fighting not to rip her open and inhale all that she had to give.

David put a hand on his shoulder and Marko growled. "You don't want to kill her, do you?"

"Hey, I thought she couldn't die anyway?" Paul asked, looking through the cupboards, pulling out a lone bottle of Tequila and taking a swig.

"Marko." David pulled him away slowly. "Whatever they gave her is making her body take its sweet time to heal. If you took all of it, she might not come back at this point."

Marko still had a hand on her chest. He looked longingly down at her. "Divine light," he whispered, choking back a tear. He had never seen a clear vision before, nor would he ever experience a light so heavenly as her. But she had given him an image of what could be, and for one second he had walked in her light.

"She's been to the New Life Corporation on the outskirts of town," he said, looking from David to Dwayne. "They drugged her there too. I didn't get why, but the antidote for the poison is there."

"Why don't we just put her out of her misery?" Dwayne asked, still flipping through channels.

Marko shot him a hateful glare and David folded his arms. "Because if we do that, it's the end of the world for all of us. We need to get that antidote, and fast."

Serenity unexpectedly shook. Her eyes popped open showing only her whites, and she screamed as though Marko's touch burned her.

Paul jumped, dropping the glass he held and it shattered on the floor. "What the hell?" He looked at the mess. "Dam, now I suppose I'll have to clean this shit up."

"Since when do you ever jump at a scream?" Marko asked, as he quickly let up on his touch and Serenity calmed. "She's burning up. It felt like her blood could've burnt my tongue." He looked apprehensively at David and put the back of his hand to her throat, hoping it would be the coldest part of him and give her some peace.

Unexpectedly, she caught his hand in hers and looked up at him from her green cat like eyes. "Marko…" she trailed, closing them again. She started to wiggle, her body heaving up and down as though she were having a seizure, and then she lunged forward, wrapping both arms around his neck, squealing like a wounded fox. "Ice water…please…"

David gave the demand before any of them could say a word otherwise. "Paul, clean up this mess and run a bath for our princess here. You and Marko can stay here with her." He gave a warning eye to Dwayne. "Check back on the horse. I'll go fetch this antidote we need, assuming it exists."

Dwayne had his eye on the TV. "Should we move the horse?" he asked, turning up the volume.

The local news was reporting random cases of serpent and bug outbreaks in homes all over the area, along with spots on the Boardwalk.

'We're telling people to stay calm, keep their doors locked, and call the fire dept if anything should occur,' one deputy stated, as a woman behind him ran, screaming for her life from her front door, a pile of dark hairy spiders right behind her.

'Another incident came from the boardwalk,' one reporter stated, holding her microphone up to interview the owner of a comic book store. 'Can you tell us what happened here?'

Edgar adjusted his bandanna. 'This is mass chaos we've got here,' he said, stepping nervously from one foot to the other. 'We're talking about real revelation stuff here. Like uh, an apocalypse. The sea turning to blood, and rain of toads!'

The reporter stepped fearfully back. 'Well, ok, there you have it.'

Edgar grabbed the microphone, pushing his face into the camera. 'Serenity, if you're out there, we need you!"

'Cut, cut transmission,' the reporter yelled, and the screen went blank. A few seconds past and finally the station returned to normal. 'And now back to your local news.'

Dwayne turned the TV off. "Her mind didn't tell you she visited with the Frogs?" he asked of Marko. "I guess you're not the key after all."

"Maybe you should keep your own fangs in check!" Marko barked. "You went after her?"

"Take it easy boys," David said, clasping his hands together. "So the world is falling anyway."

"She has something to do with this, doesn't she?" Marko asked, as he looked down at Serenity, noticing that the mark he had left on her was already healing. That had to be a good sign. "She's fighting it."

"Good." David answered, heading out the door. "Put some ice in that bath of hers. The shock'll do her good."


	7. X Amount of Words

Dwayne cautiously re-entered the dimly lit barn and regarded the calm it contained with much more enthusiasm than he had done for all the nosy reporters. The only sounds came from the horses restlessly moving about their stalls and chewing their hay. The smell of camphor from the liniments overwhelmed his vampire senses as he noticed that the stalls had been stripped of their dirty bedding and fresh cedar shavings had replaced it, even the floor had been swept clean. He puffed up a little, adjusting his jacket, enjoying the slight mind influence he had had on Carla, although he had not intentionally meant for her to clean the whole barn.

The Black stood quietly in his stall, peering over the door with one ear cocked in Dwayne's direction. He listened for the vampires approach without looking towards him, and Dwayne noticed the stallion didn't seem to care about his presence there, more or less. The horse looked deep in thought, possibly worried about the girl.

As he moved closer, the stallion flared his nostrils and shook his head. Dwayne watched him carefully as he inched forward, determined not to aggravate him more. A fight with the large animal was not what he had in mind. "We've been through this before my friend," he whispered, bringing one hand up to touch him. The Black backed off a bit and pinned his ears, but he did not bare his teeth, and that told Dwayne that the horse was considering a peace offer. He lowered his hand and reached into the grain bag sitting beside the stall and held it out for the stallion as little bits of oats and corn fell to the ground. He began to whisper words softly in his native tongue, and the Black with one last snort, carefully stretched his neck out to nibble the grain off his hand.

Dwayne watched carefully as the horse ate, making sure none of his digits fell into the mix of grinding teeth. The stallion kept one ear forward and one ear back, listening to the sounds all around them, and the appearance of Carla behind Dwayne disturbed his concentration. Dwayne noticed her too, even before she had entered the barn, he had smelled her, but he continued talking to the Black regardless. "What does that mean?" she asked, propping the broom she held under her armpit.

The Black stepped closer, allowing him to run his other hand down his sleek black neck. "It means I'm no threat to him," he simply said.

Carla laughed mocking his answer. "You saying all that mumbo jumbo you just spoke only means those tiny words?" she asked, laughing a little flirtatiously while staring at the ass of his tight jeans.

Dwayne glared, half tempted to finally make her his dinner. She was getting on his nerves. He continued to run his fingers down the horses nose and neck, cooing softly at him. "Does it matter?" he asked. "He's responding."

"Ppfff, that horse is the devil," Carla answered, turning her head to the side showing her feelings of disregard for the horse. "I'd sooner make friends with a werewolf."

The Black startled and jumped back at her words, rearing and striking the air over Dwayne's head. He quickly moved his arms out of harms way. A broken bone was the last thing he wanted to deal with, even if it would likely heal over night. He whirled around angrily to face Carla, a scowl plastered on his face. "That can be arranged," he growled.

Carla snapped out of her reverie and stepped back. A flash of what had happened earlier raced threw her mind and she held the broom up in the air. "Easy there, Chavez! I was only saying, you know that girl is the only one besides you who can control that beast. Kinda strange don't ya think?"

Dwayne stepped forward, easily grabbing the broom out of her hands and threw it down the isle. "We all have a little devil inside us," he snickered. "How dare you insult me." He grabbed her chin with one hand and squeezed it tight. Carla panicked and grabbed hold of his arms, trying to pry herself away from him. He threw her back against the wall just hard enough to get her attention.

"Who the hell are you?" she screeched, falling on all fours to the dirt floor.

He roughly picked her up by the hair and pinned her against the wooden panels of the barn. Before she had the chance to scream at his blazoned amber eyes, he looked deep into hers using the old mind spell and told her to relax. She silently obeyed and he let her go. "Tend to your boarders like you should be and leave the rest to me," he ordered. With that little mind trick working in her head, she hurried down the isle.

Dwayne turned his attention back to the Black, making sure to grab some more grain. The horse moved forward again from the back of his stall, flaring his nostrils, but took the offering with no hesitation this time. Dwayne reached down and snapped one of the wolves' teeth from his necklace and carefully opened the stall door. The stallion shuffled his feet from side to side, unsure about having this inhuman creature enter his stall. "Easy big man," Dwayne whispered. "We both know you're in charge here." He watched the horse's bright eyes as he grabbed a patch of his thick, inky black mane and tied the tooth into it, patting him on the chest when he was through. "For protection," he winked. The Black shook his mane as if he liked the new gift and went back to eating his hay.

Meanwhile, back at Serenity's cabin, Paul came out of the bathroom with a plastic cup in his hand and tossed it into the sink. "Oh how I hate bathtubs full of water," he protested, looking at Marko. "Lil' missy's bath is all ready to go. And after all that work I need a smoke." He pulled a joint out from one of his pockets and began to light up.

"You wine like a little girl," Marko said, putting the back of his hand on Serenity's forehead as she turned her head towards the pillow, trying to mumble words. He had been doing this off an on for a half hour trying to get her to regain consciousness. She had his other hand in a tight locked grip with both of hers and it made him feel apprehensive. He was half tempted to kick Paul out of the cabin for smoking inside, but he thought maybe the scent would arouse something in her.

"At least I get the girls," Paul said playfully, taking a puff of his prized treasure. "Better throw her in before the ice melts."

Marko gave him a scornful look and carefully picked Serenity up off the bed, carrying her into the miniature bathroom, watching her breathing pattern every step of the way to make sure he didn't somehow hurt her. Paul had made a good mess on the floor, splashing water everywhere and dropping a few ice cubes that danced across it when Marko kicked them out of the way. He huffed at the close quarters, not having much room in-between the wall and the tub.

"What's the matter bro?" Paul asked. "Don't get me wrong, she's a cool chick. I just don't get why we're helping her." There was bitterness in his voice when he said this but Marko refused to say anything. Instead he focused on Serenity for a minute and then hesitated, looking up at his silly pack mate, wondering mentally if he should take her clothes off. Paul caught the notion and looked back at him in the same questioning manner. "So, are you gonna lose the clothes or what?" he asked, bouncing excitedly, hoping Marko would say yes. "Man, why you acting like it would be such a bad thing to see her naked, or scarf down that tasty blood of hers for that matter?"

Marko raised his eyebrows. "You know why. But you're right, bro. Taking her clothes off would be the smart way to do this," he answered.

Paul's smile went from ear to ear. "Hell yeah it would. We're trying to chill her right?"

Marko rolled his eyes and gently laid Serenity down on the cold tile. "We're trying to get the fever down, not stare at her in perverted ways." Although there was not a doubt in his mind that he would not love to see this petite beauty sprawled out naked all the way, but it involved him and her alone somewhere quiet, without Paul drooling in the background.

He reached up under the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up over her head and off. Paul tilted his head, getting a good glimpse of her well-defined stomach, hoping one of the straps from her bra would accidentally fall down her arm, exposing her breasts. He could see her nipples hard, poking through the soft fabric as Marko worked to get her jeans off, and he danced in the doorway saluting them; this was too good.

Serenity opened her eyes halfway and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. She began to shiver now that she wore nothing but her bra and panties. Marko moved back and opened the front of his jacket, placing himself over her. He tucked one arm in under at the nape of her neck, the other under the small of her back, and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry. I know you don't trust me, but I would never do anything to hurt you long as I could help myself." He began to lift her up towards the water.

"Aren't you going to take the bra off at least?" Paul asked, stepping to the side as Marko was now blocking his view. He heard Marko's whispered words and pondered them slightly confused. "You think she doesn't trust us?"

Marko looked at him over his shoulder about ready to kick him out. "Sure I'll take it off just for you, and when she comes out of this, I'll let her know that you're a complete hound dog." He started to laugh a little.

Paul just sighed. "I love chicks man. I can't deny that. Cuddle'em, fuck'em, eat'em up, any which way, I love them." He drummed his fingers against the door. "She smells so dam good, that blood of hers, and yet, why do I fight the hunger?"

"Because she's different." He answered as he slowly slipped her into the bath, placing a folded towel behind her head against the edge.

"Yeah, it's too bad…" Paul started to say something, but Serenity interrupted him with a high-pitched scream. Her eyes flew open as she gripped the sides of the tub, thrashing her legs around wildly and getting the two vampires wet. Paul screeched like a feral cat and left the bathroom cursing. Marko threw his jacket off and reached into the water to lift her out of it, noticing the slight stinging of his skin from the ice.

"Ttt-tttooo cold," she whispered, gripping onto his neck for dear life. She wrapped her legs around his waist setting him off balance and he stumbled backward against the mirror. He caught her gaze for one second thinking that if she could, she would have laughed at that. Then he reached over and grabbed the towel hanging from the door and put it around her. Serenity felt as if it were a shield surrounding her, protecting her, and she tried her hardest to look back at him and let him know she was more than grateful. Even though the poison still swam through her body, her eyes glistened bright green with tints of brown and yellow at the center. He brushed a few strands of wet hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Now that they were alone, he reached back, easily unsnapping her bra, pulling it off and let it fall to the floor. Her breasts were petite, delicate, and perky, but he didn't touch them, instead he looked into her eyes again. In that moment he wanted to take her for himself After all, he was the one she had opened up to. She sighed and pressed herself up against him. "Marko," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder with a slight shiver. Her warm breath raised the hair on the back of his neck and he wondered if the quiver was from being cold or if she fancied his touch. He reached forward and kissed her neck, retracing the line he had made earlier, back to the spot where he had taken some of her precious blood, tempted to take more. Maybe it would help get rid of the poison. It certainly would not hurt him any. He shook himself, and decided not to; fearful he might get greedy for her and take too much. Her heart quickened and she moaned as if her body ached all over again, and once more he tried to sooth her by running his cold hands down her back. Why the hell was David taking so long, he wondered.

….

On the way to his destination, David had taken a quick detour to see if Max was working at the video store this night, he didn't want any unforeseen surprises. The boardwalk itself was half dead due to the overpopulation of rats that seemed to be taking over. It reminded him of the pied piper and he thought for a moment what it would be like to lure helpless mortals to him and his boys in such a way. No, that would be too easy. They preferred the hunt, the rush it gave them when the scent of fear lingered in the air.

As he suspected Max was there, but there was no need to venture into the store itself and disturb the older vampire's sick, and distorted thought process, even though he dreaded the journey to the New Life Corporation. The place reminded him too much of a hospital, smelly yet sanitized and full of death, despite its name. Max had somewhat cut off communication with David for the last few days in order to keep their connection a secret from the girl, which didn't bother David in the least. He had his own plans for the girl and was certain that Max would eventually start asking questions, but he hoped by then it would be too late, and his plans would have succeeded. But first things first, find her the cure.

The entire New Life building was completely surrounded in chain linked fencing and barbed wire ran in circlets around the top of it. David could have easily broken in through the gate, but why waste energy? Instead he flew in, carelessly gliding over the fence, landing light and silent at the door. The building welcomed him in with an unlocked glass front and empty, dark hallways. The smell of alcohol and iodine made him turn up his nose. He had to pause for a moment, smelling the air deeper to get a better sense of what surrounded him. No need to be surprised by an attack from some dumb mortal with half a brain, although a quick feed would lighten his mood. He kept an even stride, making sure his footsteps were inaudible and lingered for a quick second near an open doorway, trying to remember which floor the lab was on.

Max had walked him through the building once, but he had not paid attention to it at the time. Any corporation that randomly did experiments on people, animals or even vampires for that matter should be burned to the ground.

He continued on his way to the end of the first corridor. The walls of the place were completely white and slightly disorienting. The only colors around were the potted plants that lined the hallway. Not even pictures decorated the miserable walls. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he rounded the corner thinking this place was too creepy, even for him. The thought caused him to trip clumsily over one of the plants, a baby cactus, which embedded one of its needles into the calf of his leg. "Dam it to hell!" he cursed, picking the pot up and smashing it to bits against the wall. If their science subjects weren't already cooperative from all the drugs being pumped into their systems for sure one of these devilish plants would knock some sense into them. He wondered if it had been Max's idea as he limped up the stairs, tempted to just fly again and save his leg. The needle would have to wait, time was going by too fast and no way would he be stuck in there at sunrise.

As soon as he got to the upper floor of the building, the memory of a room at the end of the hallway skipped into his head. He had seen it full of bottles and liquids, needles, odd tools that cut the skin and tricky wired machines. This floor had colored tiles, black and white checkers and from the looks of it had just been polished clean. He wondered what the purpose of their color choices might be. Maybe he was right, and they did try to confuse their victims. Was he so different when he killed? And if not, why did this sight trouble him so much? Maybe it was the fact that Serenity had been here. This place was supposed to be the end for her, and then would come the end of the world. The thought made him quiver. He literally didn't want to die. He rather enjoyed living the undead life amongst so many soft, fragile humans that fed him plentifully. In this world he was exalted and be it not so, he would make it that way.

He stopped at the door of the room he remembered, reading the tiny metal sign tacked to the wood. Wooden doors? How quaint, he thought, running one finger over the thick black words. Purgatory. And they think we're the monsters, he thought again, jiggling the handle to find it locked. The lights in the room were on. He sensed movement and then the smell of fresh human blood along with some that was dead and not human. He gave the handle a rough jiggle and shoved the door open with a quick jerk so that it hardly made a sound. His night would go much smoother if no one caught him in the act of burglary. The faint sound of a composed heartbeat rang true in his ears. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," he whispered, looking around the room.

A straight counter top divided the room into two halves. One side looked much like a doctor's office. A sleek white cabinet sat against the wall next to the door and just behind the door was a scale of some sort. On the cabinet sat linens and metal trays, plastic paper, and a disposal box for used needles. On the other side of the divide sat what looked to be an electrode machine, oddly designed with lots of wiring coming out of it, some of the wiring ended in suction cup looking things and others ended in needles.

As David got closer to the divide he could see his human foe clearly standing with his back to him. The lab operator wore headphones and had not heard the vampire making his way around the room, and instead of looking over his shoulder to see, continued cleaning up the bloody mess in front of him. He worked at a long table, one of the metal trays situated on top of it containing scissors and cutting tools, even a saw. Talk about a horror movie. The scent of toxic cleaning fumes mixed with the blood of whatever he had killed made David's head spin for a second, but his lips curled up into an evil smile when he noticed a hypodermic needle full of tranquilizer solution sitting just to the right of him on an empty tray. He picked up the injection, pulled the lid off the needle and squirted it into the air. This would be fun, he thought.

The lab tech continued his work oblivious to the events taking place behind him. He threw one paper towel into a waste bin and ripped another one off the holder in front of him, scrubbing the table further. David grabbed hold of him in one swift movement, knocking his headphones off. "Hey, man, what the hell are you doing?" The tech screeched, reaching for the emergency button.

David held him tight around the neck with one arm. "I'm in need of a drug," David snarled, sticking the needle into the guy's neck and injecting half of the sedative. "You're going to help me." He let go of the guy who staggered, falling forward onto his workbench. David picked him up by the back of his collar and set him abruptly on a nearby stool.

The guy slouched forward; mouth open, eyes hazed already feeling the affects of the drugs. David had to hold him up by his shoulders. He leaned in giving the guy a slight smirk. "You're going to get a lesson in how it feels to be poked and prodded, only, you're going to be awake to feel it."

"I know you," the guy said, trying to hold his head up. "You came in here with Max once."

David disregarded the guy's words and grabbed the scalpel from his work tray. "You guys had a young girl in here two days ago. Goes by the name of Serenity. She's been poisoned and I heard you had the antidote. Where is it?" He took the knife and held it to the top of the young guys ear.

"I dun know wha ya mean," The tech's speech began to slur.

David huffed and gently pushed the knife down, letting it slice into the tender cartilage of the guy's ear. A little blood trickled down the side of his face, but the drugs seemed to have made him unaware but only for a second and then he began to moan loudly. "Listen kid, I know you know what I need, you better tell me, or I'm going to cut off your fucking ear, understand!"

"AAAhh, no," He yelled. "I'ma swore to secrecy. Ya don understand."

"You'll be sworn to death if you don't tell me." David warned, pushing the knife deeper into his ear until the knife sat comfortably halfway through it.

"It's…it's, herbal remedy…I think…no…wait…yes, over there… the shelf. It says Hawthur tinct on it, I thirnk."

It was getting harder for David to understand the guy and he worried he might not get the right answer before the guy passed out. "You better be certain," he said, letting the guy fall to the ground as he yanked the knife from his ear. He kept it with him and walked casually over to the shelf that contained all the different medical concoctions. Some of them he just knocked to the ground aggravated that he wasn't finding the right solution.

The lab tech staggered on the ground, a few drops of drool coming out of his mouth. "You dun now wha you do," he tried to say. David didn't listen to him. Instead he kept searching, finally finding what he thought was the right combination of words that matched the staggering speech of his human experiment sitting on the floor. He went back to the man and pulled him up by his wounded ear, causing the guy to screech loudly.

"Is this it?" David asked, shoving the bottle in tech's face. "Hawthorne, Burdock tincture? Just nod if it is." He was growing impatient and the smell was making him ache all over for fresh blood. The tech nodded and David shoved the bottle deep into his coat pocket. He didn't want to drink the blood of this man, just in case the sedative was strong enough to work on him. Instead he decided to slit his throat and leave the mess for another ruthless tech. He grabbed the knife and started to cut right under the ear he had already severed.

Before he could carry the procedure out there was a sharp clicking behind him and he looked up to see Max standing in the doorway.

"David, what the hell is going on here?" Max demanded.

David let the guy slip to the floor and he set the knife down on the counter. "Just paying my respects," he shrugged.

Max crossed the room flaring with anger and back handed his fledgling so hard it sent David to his knees. A whimper escaped his lips from the cactus needle still embedded in his leg. "This is not the kind of behavior I expect from you or any of the other boys. Especially now that this town is in turmoil."

David glared up at him from the corner of his eyes. "Oh don't pretend you don't know what's going on. It's your fault!"

Max acted like he would hit him again, but David didn't flinch. Instead Max just laughed and stood back crossing his arms. "This is about that girl," he said calmly, tilting his head to better look at David. "Yes, she was supposed to be here now, but instead my employee let her escape and now oddly enough he's dead. Do you know anything about that David?"

"I could care less about your dam employees, Max," he hissed, making sure the bottle of medicine was completely concealed from his sire's probing eyes.

"And the girl?" Max asked, putting a finger to his lips and raising his eyebrows. "Do you know where she is?"

David could feel him pushing through his mind. If he lied Max would know. "Yes," he told him, hoping that hearing what he wanted to know would keep him from realizing he had the antidote.

"Good. So you have been keeping an eye on her like I asked. I'll expect you to bring her to me when the time is right." Max sighed. "Tsk, tsk, now run along so I can clean up this mess you've made."

David got to his feet and vigilantly walked past his sire. "You should stick to video store's Max. Movies won't turn around and bite in the ass later," he said, pausing in the doorway.

"Oh, my dear boy, is that a threat? I will have my way one way or the other, and you can either join me, or die. It's up to you David." Max answered, casually picking the tech up and running the knife of the blade straight through the man's throat just as child would have done.

David decided it was best to keep his peace until he was prepped and ready to stand up against his sire. He had what he wanted and now it was time to get past the obstacles and change the fate of the world or at least Santa Carla.


	8. Red Rain

Edgar was taken aback by the reporter's reaction to his warnings. Couldn't she see these things were really happening all around her? He pushed his way through the chaos of wires and video cameras trying to get back into focus with the broadcast, and Alan stood in the doorway of the comic book shop looking rather cross as he watched his fellow warrior make a fool of himself. He folded his arms and huffed, taking a moment to check the sky. The stars were being chased away by thick cumulus clouds moving in at a highly unusual rapid rate, and it wasn't just the speed in which they came that set him back, it was the color. Not the expected dark gray masses, these were a dark crimson outlined in flaming red that turned the moon from its slight yellow to pale pink. The town itself was now bathed in the same eerie color of blood red.

The reporters stood back in awe, gasping at the new spectacle rolling in before them, and yet they seemed unable to lift a finger or a camera to get a good shot of it. Edgar didn't care, he was still arguing with the reporter to put him back on the screen. He pulled the video in one direction and the reporter pulled it in another. It wasn't until the screeching sound of birds filled the air with their horrific cries that he finally let go to see just what was going on. Ravens filled the crimson sky in larger than life numbers almost shadowing out the red glow the clouds had consumed the town with. It seemed as if they were following the storm, and this storm would be no heavenly down pour.

Alan tapped his foot anxiously, becoming more and more impatient with his brother. This was no time to worry about being on the news. The end was seriously near. "Edgar," he yelled, trying to get his attention diverted. "We're seriously close to unraveling in the face of the enemy. Get your sorry Rambo ass in here and help me get rid of this snake infestation."

Edgar continued to watch the birds pass over for a minute before letting go of the reporters arm and charging dramatically towards the door where his brother stood. "Come on man move," he said, shoving Alan out of the way, slamming the door shut behind him. "Uh, get the sea salt, and the incense and candles." He scrambled around trying to find their lone book of spells that he had set aside, outside of their other books, tools and weaponry. For some reason their parents were awfully involved with this particular book, that is when they were coherent.

Alan placed the candles around the main lobby of the shop in four different corners and lit the wicks with a lighter. He continued around the room in the same manner with the incense of fern, sandalwood and sage, letting the tips burn for a few seconds before blowing them out. The sacred smoke rose in spirals filling the room in abundance with the mixed scents of the outdoors.

Edgar impatiently searched for the sea salt, hoping against hope that it wasn't in their weapon room where the slithering serpents dwelled for the time being. If that were the case he would have to make a b-line for the store, and being caught in a torrential down pour of blood was not his idea of a peaceful evening fighting demons and monsters bringing fourth Armageddon. "Christ!" he screeched. "Where the hell is my sea salt?"

"Check the safe," Alan yelled, waving his way through the thick smoke, his eyes already red and hazed.

"Dam it!" Edgar cursed, tossing a box across the room and out of his way as he sank down behind the counter, just below his sleeping parents, to check the safe. Sure enough, there it was. He held it up, giving a salute of victory. "We'll kick their ass man," he continued, hopping over to where Alan now sat on the floor.

He quickly opened the container and started to sprinkle it around himself and his brother to make a perfect circle on the cold floor. As he did, he nodded to Alan and they began to chant in unison. "With this salt we sprinkle about, we banish all negative spirits out… within these walls you may not stay, we ask you now to go on your way." One final pinch of salt and the circle was complete. "It shall be done," they both agreed.

There was a sharp cracking sound that ran along the back wall where the best of the best Spiderman and Batman comics sat on display, and a few of them fell to the ground. The earth below them trembled and sent a large fracture straight up the wall behind them as the candle's wicks were suddenly blown out. The sound of hissing snakes roared all around them and they jumped into each other's arms.

"What the hell," Alan grimaced, clutching Edgar's camouflaged shirt. "I thought you said that was a protection, banishing spell thingy?"

Edgar shrugged, still looking around the room in paranoia. "It was," he said honestly. "You know I don't know anything about this witch craft shit. We need to find Serenity."

….

Off the Boardwalk, down near the beach, Dwayne returned to Serenity's abode before David and found Paul outside smoking as usual and staring at the sky, mesmerized by the speed in which the clouds moved, and the color that was oh so breath taking. "What the fuck is going on?" Dwayne asked him, following his gaze to the clouds.

Paul took another puff and let the smoke roll out through his lips slowly. "Either this is some good shit, or we're in for a blood bath."

"Why the hell are you sitting out here?" Dwayne asked. "Is David in there?"

Paul looked over his shoulder at the door and smirked. "Nope. Marko kicked me out. He's in there doing something with a naked Serenity." He chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, you can't blame me for trying to be part of the action."

Dwayne looked him up and down and scowled. "You're one twisted asshole sometimes. Why the hell would Marko be trying to get it on with an unconscious girl?" Aggravated, he turned and shoved the door open, only to find Marko sitting on the bed watching over Serenity. Paul was right on one account, she was in the nude, but Marko had carefully wrapped her in a sheet off the bed. The ice bath had made her condition even worse. She twisted and turned on the mattress mumbling words that sounded more alien than human, even as Marko had tried to probe her mind, all he got back was gibberish, and every time he touched her now she screamed bloody murder.

He jerked his head around when he heard the door fly open, hoping it was David and when he saw that it wasn't, his worry flared to anger. "Where the hell is David? Is he behind you?" he asked, letting his words lash out at Dwayne like whips.

"No good huh?" Dwayne asked, taking one of the chairs from the kitchen table and turning it around so he could straddle it backwards.

Marko looked away from him as his eyes blazed amber. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch who created this shit. Actually, I think I'll inject him with it first before I tear his throat out."

"Take it easy man. Since when did you take on such feelings for humans?" Dwayne asked, folding his arms over the back of his chair.

"I haven't," Marko snapped, looking at his blood brother with low, hunter's eyes. "Everything inside of me is aching to drink her up…every dam drop. But then something pulls the need away. I don't know why and I can't explain it."

"Maybe it's time we take her to a real doctor."

"No." David's voice rang out through the small cabin as he hobbled through the doorway. "We take her there and it's really the end, for her and all of us," he continued, limping over to the bed and pulling the antidote out from inside his coat. Not to mention the fact that he hated hospitals like he hated Max's laboratory and all the dam cacti that went with it. He searched his pocket for the needle looking as if a black hole had suddenly developed inside and swallowed it whole. With a loud irritated growl his hand finally brought it forth.

Dwayne pushed his face down to the inside of his arm at the sight of it. What was it with this girl and needles? She had become a regular pincushion it seemed. He guessed that if he were in her shoes, he would want someone to just put him out of his misery.

"What happened to you?" Marko asked, watching his sire take a seat painfully on the other side of Serenity.

"There was an ambush of cacti at the lab," he mumbled, pushing the needle out of its protective sheath and plunging it into the bottle of liquid herb. "The bastard cacti lost." He steadily filled the syringe and when no more could be expelled from the tube, pulled the needle out of the plug, disregarding the small amount of laughter coming from Marko and Dwayne. He gave them a quick warning glance and moved to uncover Serenity's naked form.

Marko daringly pushed his hand away. "She's naked," he protested.

David raised an eyebrow looking down at him in awe at his odd behavior. "We've all seen naked girls before. Is there a reason I shouldn't see this one?" he asked with a slight arrogance and tone that told Marko he had better step back or get reprimanded for it later.

"No," Marko answered calmly, backing down the bed as David continued.

"This has to go directly into the center of her stomach, so I'll need you to hold her down." At this point her breasts were exposed and Marko felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. Something about this was not right to him. David treated her like an object, and Marko wanted to hide her from him. Dwayne watched from a distance. He seemed more squeamish about the needle than the partial nudity, naturally.

Paul skipped in full of spirit through the door covering his head with part of his jacket as the rain started to pound against the windows. It was thick, red rain and a bitter metallic smell filled the sea air. "Shit, does this mean no more human meals?" he asked, shaking off what little of the rancid rain had hit him.

"Paul sit down," David said, staring into the clear liquid and tapping the needle to make sure no air bubbles escaped through it. He regarded Marko sternly. "You ready?"

Marko nodded, moving up to hover over his angelic mystery and placed a hand on her chest just above her breasts. David leaned in, rubbing the tender skin just above her navel and plunged the needle straight into her abdomen. To his surprise, she barely flinched. With one quick jerk it was over. He sat back and recapped the needle. "Now we wait," David said.

…

_While the boys took care of her body, Serenity's astral one moved languidly from the bathroom through the kitchen towards her soft bed. She couldn't recall the past few days, or why she was still awake this late at night. Her eyes were cloudy and her lips parched, but no matter how much she tried to drink, the water would not slide down her throat. Maybe she had been sick, she thought, as she dragged her feet across the cold tile floor._

_She noticed that her wooden chairs had been moved in a disorderly fashion and had been placed all around her bed. She studied them for a minute realizing that some strange magic was at work when four apparitions appeared to be sitting in them. Yes, now she could hear their voices, talking about poison and red rain and…wait a minute, she could see herself in her bed already. How could that be? Was she dead? She moved closer to the strangers that surrounded her and it struck her suddenly that she must know them somehow. The curly haired blonde struck a cord in her heart. No, that can't be, but wait, the other blonde with the steely gaze, she knew him too, but the feeling was not pleasant, rather it was bitter and caused a spot on her neck to pulsate in pain. She ran her hands over her face and pinched her arm. No feeling. "How did I die?" she asked out loud hoping one of the strange young men would answer. Instead she heard another voice behind her._

_"You are the chosen four," it said in monotone with no expression what so ever. Serenity jumped and turned to see Howie standing beside her, like a stone cold statue with no real expression on his face, except for a blank stare directly into the mirror in front of him, and he was a ghastly pale color. The two puncture wounds from Dwayne's bite stood out like bee stings welts. "You are the chosen four," he said again._

_"Howie?" Serenity asked, moving apprehensively to touch him on the shoulder. She gasped when her finger hit bone. He was ice cold. She studied his face as he kept saying the same words over and over. It was as if he were trying to get the message across to someone and until he did would be stuck there forever. She peeked into the mirror in front of him only to see the four boys sitting behind them surrounding her bed._

_"You are the chosen four," he repeated again. "You and only you have the power to stop the dark force that's present…"_

_Serenity gulped and stepped in front of him, looking into his frozen stare. His pupils were almost white like someone had stuck him into a freezer with his eyelids open. It was a horrible picture to her and she cringed, trying not to look away or run screaming._

_"You have to know what to see," he whispered, reaching up and clutching onto her shoulders with his chilled, bony talons. He turned her around so she could see again into the mirror. It was David who stood before her with his artic gaze, gloved hands clasped together, and that irresistible smirk he wore often and proudly. Then Max appeared behind him, clutching onto David's shoulders like Howie had hers. A wave of dark panic overcame Serenity and she turned around trying to shove out of Howie's grasp, screaming, "No, no, let me go," only to look up and see Max in front of her._

…..

On the outside, while Serenity battled her demons, Edgar and Alan drudged drearily, as fast as they could, through the onslaught of blood rain in an attempt to get to her cabin. Despite their plastic covers, which consisted of nothing less than black trash bags, their clothes and hair were sticky wet. Even their boots were soaked as they tromped through the slimy sand that was now a dark crimson color. The smell alone was enough to make then turn back. It was the smell of copper pennies and road kill. "Bastard vampires are probably loving this," Edgar growled as he tried once again to read the scribbled directions he had gotten from the post office. The paper was soaked in red and the ink had run. "Can't even read this dam thing," he cursed, knowing it was his own handwriting. Desperate times called for desperate measures, which meant breaking into the mail carriers office. He figured they would have plenty of time to explain everything after they saved the world.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Alan yelled after him, trying to keep his face dry. The water ran over their lips and down their chins making it very hard not to taste blood, which sent Alan into a superstitious panic attack. No way in hell did he want to turn vamp.

Edgar stopped and looked down the row of dimly lit cabins cracking a smile, and blinking wildly to keep the rain drops out of his eyes. Alan was too busy worrying about drinking the poisonous down pour to notice his partner in crime had stopped and he smacked right into him, sending Edgar to his knees in the sludge. "Christ!" Edgar yelled, quickly picking himself out of the goo and shaking his hands off. "Dam it Alan, focus," he continued. Alan only nodded and lifted a hand to point out the one cabin free of red oozing, slimy rain. From where they stood it appeared that the rain was hitting the roof of this little hut, but not a drop tarnished the paint or the small deck that ran around the outside of it.

"That's gotta be it," Edgar claimed, readjusting his gear and starting once again towards the small wooden dome. Alan slid his backpack to the center of his spine and followed after his brother.

…

The red rain continued to drum down on the windowpanes relentlessly, but Serenity's condition still hadn't changed. She was now very still and quiet and pale. Her heart was barely audible to the four vampires who sat around her, waiting for her to do her magic and come out of the turmoil she was in. Marko still held her hand, her skin as cold as his and he quivered, looking to David for direction, but he showed no indication of worry. Dwayne had made himself quite comfortable on the easy chair in front of the TV watching a muted skateboard video.

"It's been too long," Marko said finally. "What if we give her a little transfusion?" he asked, anxiously rolling up his sleeve to bare his wrist to the lips of his newfound and intriguing girl.

David grabbed his wrist with a sharp, NO! "If we do that now she'll become one of us and you can kiss those sweet powers of hers good bye. We wait it out." He was very edgy when he spoke, and grimaced in pain when he let go of Marko's hand. The cacti needle was digging its way deeper into the flesh of his calf muscle. He wasn't sure if it could wait until night fell again to be removed, but it was a chance he was willing to take.

Paul tapped his knees impatiently, sensing the tense emotion in Marko and wondered if he could will Serenity out of her comatose state. He had noticed earlier that she had a radio sitting on the kitchen counter against the fridge and decided that hearing some familiar tunes might nudge her out of her slumber. He jammed silently to himself as if the music were already playing in his head as he made his way over to examine the rock box. "Maybe we can get some tunes outta this bad boy," he smiled, flipping the dial to FM.

"Dam well better be something worth hearing," Dwayne muttered, his eyes still glued to the TV screen.

"Touché my brother," Paul rocked, doing a little dance back over to his seat, but instead of taking it back he kneeled uncharacteristically down beside Marko on the floor while he rolled the dial back and fourth on the radio to try and find the right tune. There was a short shuffle of static and then the whisper of a tune. "Come on baby," Paul urged, patting the speaker until the words came out nice and clear.

_'We both lie silently still__  
__In the dead of the night__  
__Although we both lie close together__  
__We feel miles apart inside'__  
_  
"You hear that bro?" Paul asked as Marko leaned towards him a bit. "Some of the best dam lyrics ever written." He turned the volume up a bit and sat the radio down on the edge of the bed.

_'Was it something I said or something I did__  
__Did my words not come out right__  
__Though I tried not to hurt you__  
__Though I tried__  
__But I guess thats why they say'__  
_  
Paul couldn't help himself enough to keep his lips shut and joined in the chorus, keeping it low enough so as not to foul up the beat.

_'Every rose has its thorn__  
__Just like every night has its dawn__  
__Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song__  
_  
He stopped singing for a moment when Marko nudged him. One of Serenity's fingers had squeezed into his, a little sign of hope. Paul nodded, rocking back and fourth in tune to the music and took an unneeded breath before he started to sing again.

Yeah it does'

_'I listen to our favorite song__  
__Playing on the radio__  
__Hear the dj say loves a game of easy come and__  
__Easy go__  
__But I wonder does he know__  
__Has he ever felt like this__  
__And I know that youd be here right now__  
__If I could have let you know somehow__  
__I guess__  
__Every rose has its thorn__  
__Just like every night has its dawn__  
__Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song__  
__Every rose has its thorn'__  
_  
Paul let the last few words roll off the tip of his tongue, allowing the notes to linger and then fade away to the melody in the background before he decided to stop. He looked utterly beaten when Serenity made no more movement or took even the slightest breath. Saving a life was not in the vampire brochure. It was always kill, kill, and kill some more. The savage beast in him lived for it, but this was something he hadn't known for a long time, and suddenly he wanted so badly for her to just rise up and prove that he could still keep the feral animal inside at bay.

Marko caught a glimpse of Paul's last few thoughts and shoved him playfully away, making sure not to let go of Serenity's hand. "Your singing sucks ass dude," he teased.

Paul fell back on the floor catching himself with his hands behind his back. "Yeah, well at least I'm not coddling a mort." He raised his boot off the ground and kicked Marko in the calf. "At least when I do it I actually get some ass." He jumped up snickering and bounced away before Marko could touch him.

"Boys?" David interfered. "Daylight is coming in less than an hour. It's time we make this place a perfect night. That means blankets, sheets, towels and anything else we can use to cover the windows and every nook and cranny to keep the light out." Dwayne and Paul jumped right on it, but Marko grunted, looking down at Serenity, unwilling to leave her side.

"_Marko_," David looked at him with calm raised eyebrows, but his intent was clear. "I'll sit here with her. Little princess isn't going anywhere anyway."

….

_Serenity screamed and reached out for the boys on the bed, trying to get their attention before Max could carry her away to God knows where. He picked her up like a delicate flower and pressed her to him, running his nose along her neck over and over again._

_She could hear singing now. A familiar song, a familiar voice, and she remembered Paul. She lashed out at Max, kicking and punching, wiggling and squirming every way she could, screaming out to Paul for help, but it was no use. Max was like a giant stone set for the ages and she was nothing but a worm squiggling about in his dirt._

_"Now, now, Serenity, it's so much better if you don't fight," Max said, holding her away from him for a minute, unaffected by her struggling. "This will all be over soon. But I promise, you will feel every bit of it." He laughed contemptuously in her face._

_She couldn't help but squint and close her eyes, turning as far away from him as she could. She thought she felt a hand squeeze hers and looked to see Marko, holding her hand on the bed. Oh yes, she remembered Marko, the devilishly charming blonde who rocked her heart. Why couldn't he help her now?_

_Howie appeared at their side again, chanting his chant, "You are the chosen four."_

_"What the hell does that mean?" Serenity yelled as Max pushed her head to the side, switching his face to the demon inside. "Howie, dam it, help me!"_

_Max's roaring laughter filled the room. "There is no help for you my dear." With that said, he tore into her throat, ripping a gaping whole in her flesh. She could feel her own warm blood streaming down her chest, but she was paralyzed, unable to move, and suddenly Howie's face was in hers, like a horrid decaying corpse._

_"WAKE UP!" He screamed._

…

About a half hour later, the boys had succeeded in turning the cabin into a black hole lit only by a few standing lamps; one beside Serenity's bed and the other next to the kitchen table. The rain still pelted the roof in a thunderous rhythm that sounded more like hail, and the air had become stagnant. It caused for severe irritation on the boys part, for even in their cave during sleeping hours they had the luxury of fresh ocean air.

Dwayne gave an unnecessary yawn and stretched his arms high above his head before claiming the easy chair once again as his sleeping spot. Marko had taken his post next to Serenity on the bed, and Paul lay across the floor just to the side of it. David, however, paced with a limp back and fourth in front of the door, listening to the sounds outside, trying to detect any mortal presence, or vampire for that matter. The rain had strangely impaired his senses, and he wouldn't have been surprised if Max decided to show up at the last minute when the four of them were at their most vulnerable to take Serenity away. That was one little tidbit he had not shared with Marko or the rest of his pack yet, and even though he dreaded it, the time would have to come sooner than later, especially since certain members of this little tribe were becoming too attached to this child of the light.

He looked at Marko. He was still staring down at Serenity in awe, fighting the sleep issue that dragged him down, causing his eyelids to look heavy and his shoulders to sag. Paul was already out for the count, his hands neatly crossed over his chest, and Dwayne was just about there.

David decided to take the other side of the bed, up against the wall. Such a shame, he thought that this cabin didn't have high ceilings and rafters. It would make for a much better sleep. He slid his gloves off and set them down, one on top of the other on the kitchen table and looked back over his shoulder, thinking for a quick second he heard footsteps outside the door.

Before he could make a move to check, the door burst open and none other than the two Frogs barged in. They looked like drowned rats soaked in blood; a vision from the horror movie 'Bloody Mary,' but still like trained army geeks, they held up their Holy water squirt guns ready for action. "On your knees blood suckers!" Edgar growled.

Dwayne's eyes popped open burning amber and he quickly rose to his feet, laughing condescendingly at the two boys. Marko's face also changed and he snapped a warning glare in their direction. Paul felt his warning and got to his knees, blinking his eyes from the light coming in.

David slammed the door shut. "Wrong place, wrong time boys," he snickered as Edgar and Alan guarded each other back to back.

"You…you over there," Alan snapped, referring to Marko. "Get away from that girl or I'll shoot."

Marko sneered and shot off the bed raging towards Alan, who let off a few pumps of the squirt gun right into his delicate face. Marko roared in pain, clutching his cheeks with his hands as he fell backwards over Paul who still sat on the floor in shock, and landed backside down on the bed beside Serenity.

Serenity shot forward taking a deep breath, and sat upright taking in the surroundings, her eyes wide, still seeing the vision of Max in front of her. She gasped and looked down at Marko, moaning in pain. The steam rose off his face through his hands, and she hastily grabbed hold, prying them away from his cheeks and touched them with her own. In an instant, the burns were gone. Marko righted himself on the bed his breathing heavy from the agony of fire on his face and stared disbelieving into her eyes. "Good to have you back," he grinned.

She winked and smiled. "You didn't seriously think that was the end of little ole me did you?"

Dwayne growled and moved forward like a big cat on the prowl ready to pounce on Edgar. "You missed, sucker!" he sneered.

David closed in behind Alan. "It's about time this town started delivering," he quipped.

Marko and Serenity both turned their heads. "No!" she shouted, springing out of bed. "No one is eating anyone here."

Paul's jaw dropped to the floor finally realizing that Serenity was awake, even more so than he was, and Dwayne stopped in his tracks, turning to see her with a low hiss. David casually stepped back and folded his arms.

"You heard me, no one is killing anyone." She yanked the squirt guns out of Edgar and Alan's hands and threw them to the ground.

"We're here to rescue you," Edgar insisted as Serenity dismantled the rest of their weapons.

"Well thank you, but they already did," she answered.

Alan curled his top lip and frowned. "We went through all that dam rain. We smell like vampires." Paul couldn't help but laugh at him. "It's not funny!" Alan argued. "If I turn vamp from this someone is going to pay."

David put a hand on his shoulder, enjoying the tormented looks on both their faces. "Relax and take a load off boys, we need to have a talk."

Alan shoved his hand away. "The hell we do." He moved away from David and took a position in the far corner of the room. "There's no way I'm going to trust a blood sucking fiend."

The other boys were beginning to linger unsteadily again as the daytime hours ran their course through their bodies. David knew they wouldn't hold up much longer. Serenity noticed it too as Marko sat raggedly on the bed. She crawled up beside him and took his hand in hers, remembering in her nightmare of a dream that he had taken hers in the same manner. "Listen guys. There is more going on here than this war between you. We need to figure it out, together. If you can't handle that, than feel free to exit the premises." She put a hand to her head, still feeling a bit woozy and laid back down on the bed. Marko crawled up beside her and crossed his arms over his chest, still only wearing his white tee. Serenity curled up beside him and tucked one hand under his folded arms.

Edgar took a spot next to Alan in the corner and they both slumped down to the floor with their knees in the air. Alan slammed his coat down, feeling the rain dried and cracking on his face. "I hate this," he growled. But there was nothing he could do until night fell once again.


	9. Confessions

In what was considered the basement of the New Life Corporation sat a fully constructed green house of sorts. It was filled with an array of night dwelling and daytime plants, all sitting under carefully manufactured misting pipes and green lights that made most of the flowers look emerald in color. But that mattered little to Max. He could see them just fine with his enhanced vampire vision, as could his techs with their super improved night goggles he had collected months in advance for this particular project.

Among the night bloomers he raised were fairy lilies and pinks, moonflowers and evening primroses, all happily content to grow in this underground darkness. The day blooming plants however, which included the usual roses, pansies, tulips and various other flowers, had started their growth in a promising direction, but now they were ultimately dying in the dark, despite the special fertilizer Max had instructed his techs to use.

He stood there looking down at them scratching his chin with a perplexed expression drawn on his face. "I just don't get it Curtis, they were doing just fine the other day," he said as the tech stood beside him in a long white lab coat, scribbling little notes about each plant that they passed.

"They need sunlight sir. This green light just isn't enough," Curtis answered without looking up from his clipboard.

"Yes, but that's why we're here, isn't it? To change their genetic make up. Once I gain complete control of this town, they'll have to survive at night," Max insisted.

"The problem is that the subject escaped before we could get a proper blood sample. I'm almost positive that we could construct a food based power source for these plants using her plasma. If in fact she is who you say she is." The tech fearfully looked up at Max through his glasses.

Max didn't seem to mind. He was still pondering the overall outcome of the situation. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to wait until I gain full power. Have you come to any conclusions as far as the shields go?"

Curtis moaned slightly. He hated not knowing the correct answer, especially when Max was asking. "No sir, you'll have to ask Lucas. He's been the one in charge of all force field projects. My guess is that it won't work, ultimately because she's like a fifth element connected to the Earth."

Max took a deep unneeded breath to keep his frustration and anger at bay. It would do him no good to keep killing off his lab employees. "I didn't ask you to guess, Curtis. I need the precise answer." He hesitated for a moment before giving Curtis a pat on the back. "Your job here is important to me. Keep up the good work." With that said, he turned and made his way towards the Element ward.

…

In another part of the murder capital of the world known as Serenity's cabin, Edgar and Alan woke up, smacking their mouths together at the awful left over taste of dried blood on their lips. Their faces were also dried and caked in the rain as were their clothes and every time they moved, little bits and flakes of red fell from them to the ground. It looked like they were shedding red skin. They both moaned simultaneously, looking down at themselves in agony. Alan decided that a shower was much needed and moved over to the bed to shake Serenity violently awake. "Hey…where are your towels? We need to take showers before the blood hound gang wakes up," he said.

Serenity rolled over blinking her eyes open to see him and pushed his arms away. "Stay back!" she screamed, seeing Howie's ghastly face at first.

They hadn't noticed that Marko had already risen when the sun set behind the clouds, for reasons other than just being fully rested. Ever since he had been staked by the notorious Frog Brothers, he could hardly sleep a whole day through, let alone in the same room with them, and he was standing at the kitchen window, peering out through the heavy sheet that had kept the sun out. The blood rain had stopped, and he looked back over his shoulder at Serenity and wondered if her waking had ceased the downpour, and if it would be back. However, the commotion between the three caught his attention first. "I'm thinking frog legs for breakfast sounds real good. Beats Chinese, anyway."

Edgar clung to Alan in fear for a second before barking out the words, "Beat it blood sucker! This is none of your business."

"The hell it isn't my business," he snapped, letting his hunger for blood control his rage. They hadn't had much of a chance to feed the night before and the pangs knocked through him as he cocked his head and let his fangs drop. He would be more than ecstatic to rip these two apart after what they had done to him, and it would be a well satisfying meal. He moved eagerly towards them when a hand on his shoulder pulled him back, and he turned sharp to see David.

"You guys don't know how to use a bathroom?" David asked in an even tone as he watched Serenity pull herself up using Alan's arms for support.

Serenity didn't say anything at first. The dreams or visions she had had in her coma like state were still haunting her, but after a few moments the answer did come out. "Towels…towels are in the bathroom." She shrugged as if it were obvious and took a deep breath, taking note at how hilarious the two Frogs looked.

Edgar only scowled as he moved away from the bed, still keeping a watchful eye on Marko and picked up his bag. Alan followed, making for the bathroom, which was still a watery mess from the night before.

Paul rose from the side of the bed head and chest first, mimicking the way one might do if rising from the grave and the first thing out of his mouth was, "What, are you guys gay? You take showers together?"

Edgar and Alan looked at each other and huffed. "Of course we're not gay," Edgar retorted. "But at least we don't dress up like lame wannabe rock stars either." He shoved Alan back and closed the bathroom door before Paul could react, leaving Alan to fend for himself. He looked around the room uneasily and rolled his eyes, dropping his bag to the floor and took a seat on it.

Dwayne got out of his chair and stretched, putting his hands on his knees as he looked at Alan. "And you call yourselves vampire hunters?" Alan gave him a disgusted look out of the corner of his eye, but no way in hell was he about to say something smart back. He figured it was better to wait and attack later when the chance of getting your throat ripped out was less of an issue.

Marko sat down next to Serenity. She looked concerned about something, but the smell of her blood refreshed made his skin crawl with anticipation. He could feel his change coming again, and the animal inside him screamed for him to take her into his arms and suck her life force into himself. Oh what a heavenly treat she would be, so pure, so decadent. He cursed himself and tried to meet her eyes with his. "Hey, you ok?"

She wanted so bad to look at him and find comfort in his soft blue-green eyes, but she couldn't. The haze from the dream still lingered and caused her to look down and away. "Course I am," she said quietly.

Before he could protest her lie, David interrupted. "Marko, It's time we hit the town," he said. "See if there's any real food left out there before you eat the girl."

Marko reached for Serenity but didn't touch her. Her eyes were distant and unsure and she didn't return the need to meet his touch, so instead he slowly rose from the bed and followed after David and his brothers.

As soon as they were gone Edgar opened the bathroom door, still looking through Serenity's cabinet drawers to find a towel. "Let me guess," he said, "They went out to hunt some innocents. You know, if you want to save the world, you should let us do away with them once and for all, for good this time."

Serenity frowned and crossed her arms trying to ignore the fact that he said, 'this time', and looked into the mirror that sat across the room, but instead of seeing the reflection of the other side of her dwelling, she saw Howie. His arms were folded in a scolding manner and he was shaking his head at Edgar. "Noo!" she screamed, jumping back against the headboard.

"It's for the good of man kind," Edgar insisted, holding up a light purple towel.

"Not them!" She pointed a hard finger at the mirror. "He's haunting me," she trembled.

"Who?" Alan frowned, getting up to take a look. "I don't see anyone."

Serenity rubbed her forehead. "Howie. He's haunting me."

"Howie?" Edgar asked. "Who the hell is Howie?"

"He's one of the guys from the lab. Dwayne killed him, and now he's haunting me. He keeps going on about the chosen four and I'm not sure what it means."

Edgar took his shirt off and threw it on the bathroom floor. "Could just be side affects from the poison. Alan, mix her some herb while I take a shower." Before Alan could argue, he slammed the door again.

_'Girls gone whack'_

"That doesn't make any sense," Alan said rising off the bed to dig through his bag. He pulled out a small glass bottle no bigger than a vial, corked with half a lid from a wine bottle and took it to the kitchen to find a small mug.

"No, it really doesn't." She paused for a moment and looked towards the bathroom with a puzzled look. "Did you just hear Edgar say something?"

Alan filled the mug with hot water and carefully pulled the plug from the bottle he held. It smelled of strong herbs and alcohol. Ten drops is all it took for the room to wreak of Burdock and Rosemary. "Besides his horrible singing? No. Why?"

"I could've sworn I just heard him say I've gone wacky."

Alan snarled under his breath as he stirred the tincture with a spoon. _'Why are we the ones who have to settle on this mission? Pretty soon she'll have lasers shooting out of her eyes.'_

Serenity glared. "What did you just say?"

The hot herbs turned a pale green signaling that they were ready. Alan carried the mixture over and handed her the cup with a questioning look. "What? Drink up. It'll clear your head."

"You just said you don't know why you have to settle with this mission." She tentatively took the mug from him and took a sip.

"No I was just thinking…wait a minute," he frowned. "Are you reading my thoughts?" _'Please don't tell me she can read thoughts now.'_

Serenity huffed. "I guess I am. Now that I know how you really feel, and here I thought you guys actually cared."

"No it's not like that," Alan said, putting his hands on his knees. "You're just a little more… complex…"

"Than what? A vampire?" She slammed the mug down on the nightstand so that some of the liquid splashed out. "Well I'm so damn sorry that you can't just stake me and get it over with." She bounced off the bed and grabbed her hoodie.

"Wait, Serenity, where are you going? You can't just leave."

"Oh hell yes I can leave! I have a race in one week. The world can't end if I'm not here right?" She put on her shoes and made for the door.

"Yeah but those lab techs are out there right now looking for you," Alan pleaded.

"All the more reason to leave. They probably know where I live." Serenity stopped to think for a moment and slumped down against the wall putting her fingers to her temples. "You don't understand. I have a career started for myself. One that I love very much, and I can't be the reason for all of this STUFF…"

"Paranormal activity." Alan added.

"Whatever. I just want out."

Alan rolled his eyes and got off the bed to take a seat beside her on the floor. "We will figure it out, Edgar and I, it's our job."

"Hey Alan, what's all the commotion about out there?" Edgar yelled from behind the closed bathroom door as he jumped out of the shower and dried himself off.

"Serenity's hearing peoples thoughts now," Alan yelled. "Hurry up. By the time you get done it will be morning again, and I think we should go back to the shop."

"The shop?" Edgar asked. "But we've got a serpent infestation there still, remember?" He came out of the bathroom fully dressed with a towel around his neck. "Unless you can get rid of them," he said, looking straight at Serenity.

She frowned. "Me? How would I get rid of them?"

"Mr. Rambo here seems to think you have this divine power over darkness. I guess if your world falls then so does ours," Alan said looking back and forth between the two.

"I don't think…I know. I've been reading up." He grabbed his bag off the floor and pulled out a book Alan hadn't seen him snatch out of the store before they had left. He opened it to the dog-eared page and placed it at Serenity's feet. "You've got all the signs. The tattoo, the rising powers…you are the one, with the exception of the whole seeing ghosts thing. I have no idea where that comes from. Now we just need to figure out who's behind the clowns in the white jackets."

"The who?" Serenity asked.

"He means the lab techs," Alan said very simply. "There has to be some kind of dark power behind them for this town to turn into a disaster like it has. Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"Just a hunch, but I think I know exactly who can tell me." She looked into the mirror again at Howie's ghastly figure and watched as he stepped aside to show her David's image.

…

Meanwhile, further down town, the rain was gone, but had definitely left its mark on the town, leaving slushy red goo on the streets and dried, encrusted casings on all the streetlights. The sandy beach itself looked like red clay as the seawater washed pink foam to the shore, and the air smelled of bitter metallic residue, causing the boys senses to go a bit haywire. Not only that but the town was deathly silent as the four vampires moved stealthily through it on the hunt for mortal blood. The exception to the silence was the flocks of people that grouped together as they entered various churches around town to pray. That would likely be their best bet for food as far as David was concerned. The thorn in his leg had embedded itself deep within the muscle and it slowed him down a little.

"Maybe you should have one of us remove that thing," Marko said, as he watched him limp along in front of the pack.

"Yeah," Dwayne agreed. "We don't need anymore trouble hunting than we already have."

David looked back at them with an aggravated expression. They had no idea why he was in such a rush to feed and be done with it. The whole hunting game was usually his thrill. "Let's just do what we came here to do and get back to the girl.

"I don't know man, I sure as hell am no saint, but something just doesn't seem right about this," Paul moaned as he skipped along behind Marko. "Picking people out of Church?"

"Ah, come on Paul, where's your sense of adventure?" Marko asked. "You can beg for mercy in hell if that's where this town is headed."

"Marko's right. Now we do what we need to do. I don't like the fact that we left the girl behind with those idiotic Frog brothers. They probably can't even wipe their own ass's without holding each others hands," David said as they neared the backside of the church where a small group of teens had gathered to smoke.

Marko was the first to pick his victim, a sweet young thing with dark brown hair and green eyes that reminded him of Serenity. He pondered for a moment, before he sank his fangs into her throat, why David always referred to her as that girl, but the second the warm blood hit his tongue he forgot all about it.

David took to the oldest looking in the group, a definite red head, and his favorite, just like a strawberry ice cream cone. Paul took to the junkie of the bunch, inhaling the sweet perfume of weed that lingered on her clothing before ripping her apart. Dwayne however, preferred the thrill of the chase. He let his victim get an eye full of what the other boys had done before tearing after her down the little dirt road the church sat on.

They discarded the bodies in the dumpster behind the church when they were good and finished. In a time like this, no one would even notice. "Marko," David called, as he shoved the last part of his victim in the trash. "Go find some food for our young heroine."

Marko nodded and left the group trying to recall if Serenity had ever mentioned food, or what she might prefer. Chinese was definitely out. Then he remembered seeing her for the first time in that Thai restaurant. What a sassy first impression she had made, with those stunning, blue eyes of hers. He could tell David was still hiding something about her from them and he wondered when he would tell. He also wondered if any of the local restaurants would even be open.

While Marko set off to get the food, the three returned to find Edgar and Alan on each side of Serenity in front of the TV holding stakes and crosses, for as they say, old habits die-hard. She heard them enter and turned to see, clutching her stomach with one hand as it made a loud gurgling noise, but it didn't hide the slight frown she wore. David knew she was wondering where Marko was. "He's bringing food," he stated, hobbling over to take a seat on the bed.

_'Stupid girl and her careless daydreams, soon she'll be nothing more than another dead corpse on the sand in Santa Carla.'__  
_  
Serenity glared when she heard those words erupt from David's fowl mind and jumped up, grabbing one of the crosses from Edgar's hand. She marched right over to David and thumped him across the face with it, forgetting that in her hands, it did little to hurt him. "Who the hell are you?" she raged angrily through gritted teeth. "Do you work for Max? What is it you want from me?"

'_What the fuck,'_ Paul thought as he ran to grab and pull her away, dodging the flailing cross.

She kicked and fussed, snapping her head around to give Paul the evil eye. "Don't pretend like you don't know, you two faced ass hole!"

David smirked as Dwayne joined Paul and they both held her back, looking at each other in confusion, before the Frogs decided to join in, which was cause enough to let Serenity go before getting maimed with crosses and stakes.

Serenity lunged at David again, using the tool as more of a crop to beat him over the head and when that didn't work she kicked him in his injured leg. David cursed at her and growled. "Alright, that's enough!" he demanded, picking her up and tossing her back down on the bed before pinning her there. "I'm not the one planning to kill you, princess."

"You already did!" she hollered, spitting in his face. "Almost twice now, and guess what, I'm still going, like a dam energizer bunny. Now tell me what the fuck is going on or I'll have Edgar and Alan kill you all."

"You don't need them Serenity," David hissed. "You already have all the power, you just have to use it." She stopped struggling against him for a moment and stared deep into his arctic blue eyes, scanning his thoughts, which were as empty as seashells washed upon the shore. "I should have known," he continued, feeling her attempt to probe his mind. "Our little girl here can hear our thoughts."

Paul and Dwayne had Edgar and Alan pinned against the wall, but when they heard this, they released them in shock. "How did that happen?" Paul asked.

"She's the freaking chosen one death breath," Edgar squealed, lunging for him once more.

Paul couldn't help but vamp out this time, knocking Edgar's weapons to the floor before grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air. "I've had just about enough of your germ infested talk for one night," he growled.

David looked back at Serenity. "If I let you up will you behave? Or do I need to let Paul knock off a member of your paranormal geek squad?"

"Paul let him go," she pleaded, trying to ignore David's warnings.

"Say please," Paul chuckled. Dwayne had sat down on Alan, pinning him to the floor, and he was turning blue from lack of oxygen.

"Ok, ok, let me go," Serenity said, a tone of defeat in her voice. She tried to push David aside as a last word and sat up on the bed behind him. Paul and Dwayne let the Frogs go and Alan stammered backwards to get away, gasping for air.

David only smiled. "Sorry about that. No hard feelings huh?"

"To hell you are sorry! Now tell me what's going on!" Serenity hissed, straightening her shirt.

"What is going on?" Paul asked. "What did you three smoke while we were gone? It smells like ass in here."

He mentioned this just as Marko walked through the door holding a bag of food. "Feeding time for the morts," he said, looking at both the Frogs first and then Serenity with a big smart ass smile.

Serenity felt her heart plummet to the bottom of her stomach. So now she was just a mort to him? David gave her a knowing look and pushed through her mind. _'Nothing personal sweetheart, but you are in fact a human.'__  
_  
She tried hard to hide her feelings and folded her arms as Marko pulled out the small Chinese looking to go containers from the brown paper bag and set them on the table. Paul nudged him in the shoulder. "Hey I think there's something wrong with your girl. Those Frogs gave her some bad mojo and now she's hearing our thoughts," he whispered.

Marko grabbed a fork and took a container full of Pad Thai noodles over to Serenity. He seemed oblivious to the current events causing such turmoil in the little cabin. His mind had been purely focused on Serenity as soon as he had stepped through the door. Not realizing his words had done her harm; he leaned over and held the food out to her. Divine light, he thought.

Serenity heard this and looked up at him trying to keep her eyes clear of tears. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat," David ordered. "Strength is important."

"Ya well, I' not your little princess, and I'm not going to sit here and be shoved or bossed around." She looked up at Marko as if to plead. "Why are you doing this?"

Marko frowned and set the food down. "David, what's going on?"

"Your precious angel here thinks that I have something to do with what's happening in this town," he answered, looking around at the three vampires.

"I know you do," Serenity argued. "Howie keeps telling me. Something about you guys being the chosen four."

"Howie?" Dwayne asked. "I killed that low life bastard."

"Yeah, well you didn't do it good enough," Alan smarted.

"I'll do you one good enough, punk, " Dwayne growled, moving to grab him by the throat again. "Little kids shouldn't play with sharp objects."

Alan thought quick and grabbed the squirt gun this time instead of the cross and stake. He took aim, but before he fired Serenity yelled out a no. She launched off the bed and tackled Alan to the floor herself.

"Sure," Alan sneered. "You can protect them from us but you can't protect us from them. I've had it, I'm out of here."

"No, Alan, don't go!" she blurted.

"Why should we stay?" he asked. "All we get is disrespect. You think these ass holes know anything about stopping an apocalypse? They're just as clueless as you are."

There was a sudden silence and after a few moments David spoke. "So the little boys and girl really want to know what's going on huh? Fair enough, but you won't like it. Either way what I say stays in this room, understood? I don't need any comments from the peanut gallery, and I don't take suggestions. This is our problem and I intend to deal with it." He looked at Serenity with soft eyes rather than his usual cold ones. "I was ordered to give you to Max on the night of the next full moon. The Frogs are right, you are the one, and Max wants your powers. He plans to take them and take over the city. What his plans are beyond that I don't know. What I do know is that if you die, the world as we know it changes. No more parties on the beach…you get what I'm saying?"

"What?" Serenity whispered, unable to stop herself from getting choked up. She put her hands on her cheeks and fell pale as she tumbled over into a weeping heap on the bed. Marko sat down beside her and pulled her into his lap, and she allowed it, uncaring of what he was or what he wanted at that moment. The only thing that mattered was that she needed someone, and she shoved her face into the crook of his neck and cried.

All of the goofy bullshit had disappeared from Paul's eyes. "How the hell are we going to stop Max?" he asked. "We all know what happened when we tried to overcome him last time."

"First things first," David answered, looking back at Serenity's crumpled form. "We need to hide her somewhere. The cave is obviously out, and we're sitting ducks if we stay here."

"What about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum here?" Dwayne asked. "They've got that lame assed comic book store."

Paul stopped playing with the rubber bands he had found on the kitchen sink and decided to put in his two cents worth. "What about that Carla chick from the barn? She seemed pretty with it."

Dwayne disagreed. "Bad idea. She almost freaked on me and there's no sure way to know if she's connected to Max. Hell, Howie was supposed to be a postal worker."

Serenity pushed away from Marko's chest. "I am not leaving my horse there. If I have to go into hiding, then so is he."

Marko pulled her hair back and looked at the faded mark he had left on her. Human or not, it didn't seem right that all of this just suddenly be slammed down on her shoulders. "I vote no on the comic store," he said. "I think out of town altogether would be better."

Alan's lip twitched and curled as if he were about to snarl. "We don't associate with vampires in our shop anyway," he growled.

Serenity wiped the tears away from her eyes and cheeks. Yes, out of town would be a lot better, but where would they go and how long would it take for Max to track them all down?


	10. House on Haunted Hill

The cabin was oddly silent as Serenity pulled her little blue bag from the darkened closet and threw it in a crumpled heap to the bed, in order to pack up her personal belongings for the journey ahead. She didn't know whether or not she would ever be returning to this tiny cabin, but just the same, she would have moved on eventually to race in another town. Somehow though, this way of leaving it behind filled her with sorrow, and the endless night weighed heavy on her mind as her strength was fading fast.

She plucked a white t-shirt out of one of the drawers and covered her mouth with it as she yawned, stretching her other arm over her head until the faint feeling of dizziness caused her to catch herself on the corner of the dresser. She sighed, resting her chin on it for a minute, afraid to look back at the others for fear that her glare might cause some other form of energy to come forth like gleaming red lasers straight from her pupils to burn up all the negative energy David emitted. She still had a bone to pick with him all right. He thought he could hide things from her, well, he had another thing coming, even if he was one of the chosen four, whatever the hell that meant. Nonetheless, the idea of hiding the Black somewhere worried her as well.

Marko's hand on her shoulder startled and jolted her out of her troubled thoughts. She jumped and spun around merely inches from his face. "How are you holding up?" he asked with raised eyebrows, not even so much as flinching or stepping back from her reaction.

His sleepy, gorgeous blue-green eyes made the tiny hairs on her arms stand to attention and sent that schoolgirl tingle all the way down her body. She couldn't help but give him a fragile smile as a small giggle escaped. It didn't seem fair that he could make her forget all the bad current events falling down around them, then again, how could she complain? "I'm ok."

She blinked quickly and side stepped out of his way. "I mean, no…I'm not. Not ok. I can't live in the dark, I'm…" She looked back at him. He was just behind her, like a shadow, almost mirroring her movements. "And the Black, I have no idea where to take him." Darn those alluring eyes of his. "I _need_ sunlight!" she finished sharply, realizing that trying to complete any more whole sentences was useless.

In the back ground Edgar and Alan were busy doing a weapons check for, 'sanitary purposes,' is what they had both agreed on. Paul was still enthralled with his new rubber band collection, twirling each one around his fingers until one of them popped off and hit Dwayne in the head.

"Knock if off, fucker!" Dwayne's sharp reply cracked as he still sat in the lazy chair with his head of wild black mane resting against his fist as he watched the boob tube. David, on the other hand, stood at the half cracked door smoking a cigarette. It seemed a little strange for him to care about whether or not the smoke lingered in the room, since they were leaving the place anyway, but no one questioned it.

Serenity sat down hard on the bed making it bounce a little and smiled as a pair of her socks rolled off. Marko smiled too, backing up against the closet doors with his thumbs in his back pockets as he let his head droop. He focused in on all her movements almost as if he were calculating what she might do next. Then he noticed the open box of Thai food still sitting on the nightstand suddenly take a spill from the vibration of the bed and in sequence they both snapped into action, attempting to keep the food from splattering all over the floor. Knowing he was much faster than her, he hesitated so that they both caught it at the same time. Their fingers overlapped and splendid amusement colored both of their faces and they looked longing at one another, trying to hide their need with sheepish smiles, until one of Paul's rubber bands hit Marko square in the cheek.

"Ha ha, foreplay," Paul quacked, bringing one knee up in the air as he rolled back in his seat. Who would have thought he had been keeping tabs on the two.

Serenity quickly pulled her hand away. It wasn't that she was afraid to let the rest of them know how she felt, it was obvious they knew, but the fear of going any further with someone who could easily jumble her mind still scared her. A cool chuckle from Marko helped her relax a bit, and she sat back on the bed, reflecting on what had just happened as she smiled back at him.

David allowed the door to swing wide open while he checked the sky and made sure the surrounding area was free of threat. The clouds had all cleared away, leaving the night sky full of stars, while a thin layer of fog made its way over the beach. The blood rain had coagulated on the sand and everything else it had hit, forming what looked like various Jell-O molds all around the area. He took one last drag from the cigarette and threw it to the ground, leaving it to smolder.

"I think it's about time we head out, don't you boys?" he asked over his shoulder, his body half in, half out of the cabin.

Dwayne stretched and got up, shaking his head when he saw Marko and Serenity making cutesy gestures at each other. Despite his doubt about her, he calmly walked over and took a seat on the opposite side of the bed, turning so that one knee rested on the comforter. Marko's smile turned into a frown when he felt Dwayne's discomfort towards his affection for the girl, but he said nothing.

"Hey Serenity, I think I have a safe place for your horse," he said. "But it's a few miles out of town."

Paul heard this and jumped up with his hands still entangled in the rubber bands and sauntered over to take a seat beside Dwayne. "You're not talkin' about that old clubhouse on the hill are you? Old man Emerson's house? That thing's been abandoned for a few years now and I personally don't want to go back."

Edgar overheard this as well and turned his head. "Not only that, but it's haunted. We've been tracking a few ghouls who've been hanging around there for the past few months. Probably attracted to the stench of death there."

Serenity shot him a troubled look and huffed. "You are NOT chasing ghosts and you're not chasing after vampires right now! Either of you!" She shook her finger at Edgar and Alan.

Dwayne brushed it off as harmless. "It's not haunted."

"Oh yeah," Alan argued. "Where do you think I got this?" He dropped his jacket and pulled the collar of his shirt down over his shoulder to expose three healthy claw-like gashes that had healed over, leaving him with a trophy of scars.

"Looks werewolf to me," Dwayne answered, turning away. "As I said, kids shouldn't play with sharp objects."

Alan twitched as he straightened his shirt. His face had turned a bright red and if he had been a cartoon, steam would be exploding from his ears. He made a fist high in the air like he would attack Dwayne, but Paul shook his head. Despite having been disintegrated in a bathtub of Holy water on their account, he wasn't one to hold a grudge, unless it was towards the dog that had shoved him in. "Not a good idea little bro," he said.

Alan put his fist down and stomped away. "I'm not your bro, bro!"

Serenity wasn't interested in the two boys' quarrel. It would likely be something that lasted an eternity. She envisioned Edgar and Alan as old geezers, smacking their toothless mouths together, chasing after the boys with their canes to hold them up, and even after they were dead, she could see the two rising from their graves as ghosts to haunt them still.

"So tell me more about this place," she continued. "It sounds old, is it even suitable for a horse?"

"It's about a half mile hike in from the road," Dwayne answered. "I remember seeing horses there a long time ago. The place is old, but mainly just run down."

Serenity nodded. Of course it would be fine. The Black could take care of himself anyway. He was still, undoubtedly a wild horse. "Ok. So how do we get around all the red sludge?"

David let out a menacing chuckle. "You're the cause of all that red sludge, honey. Better stop fidgeting and get used to it so that we can get going, otherwise, there's going to be a lot more than goop lying around here."

Serenity grunted. "Then do me a favor, David and stop treating me like a child. I might be the cause, but that doesn't mean I have a solution. This is as new to me as it is you." As her eyes met his, she contemplated flipping him off, but there was something familiar about his look, something old as if she had seen it before. This stopped her intention and instead she hopped off the bed, grabbed her things and headed out the door, bound and determined to show them that she wasn't as weak as had been perceived through recent events.

The Frogs watched her with cheerful glee and Edgar made a check mark in the air with his index finger. "One point for our side," he exclaimed, heaving his bag onto his back as he rose from the floor to follow Serenity with Alan close behind.

"Don't think that when all this is over it's not going to be open season on the both of you," David said all too calm as the two boys slipped past him.

The other three followed as well, and Marko stopped to turn off all the lights before he finally closed and locked the door.

As they marched on, Serenity had made another fascinating discovery about herself while tiptoeing through the gunk. As soon as her feet touched it, it fell away from the sand and disappeared. In fact, she had made a rather lovely trail for the others to follow in order to keep their precious shoes from facing the grime.

She stopped and looked back at her followers in the dark. They seemed unresponsive to the fact that a golden path laid before them. It literally glowed in the dark against the dull red that cluttered everything else. She shrugged and gave a smirk of triumph while waving her hands ridiculously around in a circular motion. "Wax on, wax off," she snorted, as the pious goop gave way to her command.

_Utterly brilliant,_she heard come from Alan's thickheaded mind.

Well at least someone is paying attention, she thought, moving forward once more, still moving her hands every which way to confuse the murky slush. She could see the barn up ahead, half surrounded in fog, and completely covered in a dark red shell. But despite all this, the barn doors remained open to the night, and the burning gleam of yellow lights shined throughout.

She slowed her pace due to uncertainty and crouched down with bent knees like someone trying to sneak up on something. Marko noticed her break in speed and watched with curious eyes. He finally decided to catch up with her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She hadn't been paying attention. Her sole focus had been on the barn and her horse, so for the second time that night, she jumped and spun around, just missing his face with her fist.

He laughed and caught her hand, twirling her around so that her arm was easily pinned behind her back. "Now what are you going to do?" he whispered.

Serenity stood silent, contemplating. She still had one free hand, but instead of trying to wrestle his strength, she backed into his chest as far as her crooked arm would allow and bent her head to her shoulder exposing the right side of her neck.

The others in that moment seemed far away and time stood still as Marko gave in to temptation, leaning forward to trace the delicate skin of her neck with his lips.

As soon as she felt him caress her, she reached around with her free arm and jabbed him right in the stomach, breaking the swoon. He gasped and jumped back in surprise, releasing her arm. Serenity just laughed. "You weren't expecting that were you?" she asked.

He adjusted his jacket and grinned, shutting his thoughts to her prying eyes.

She squinted for a moment while he mocked her expression, and finally with a seductive smile, boldly stepped forward, taking hold of him again by the collar of his jacket and pulled him to her. "Actually, I was going to tell you that something doesn't feel right here," she said, teasing his lips with hers.

"You have an odd way of saying it," he smirked, running his hands down her back in an attempt to bring her closer, but she refused the invitation, pushing away with her elbows.

He caught her in his gaze, urging her further to submit and she closed her eyes to let the spell take over. "Maybe you should go in first," she whispered almost breathless as he ran his lips along her neckline again.

The world around them was spinning and fading in and out like a dream. The gelatin rain became snow, and then turned back to rain, and then snow, and then to rain as if by some strange magic the energy between them was causing a loop whole in time. Serenity could hear Edgar and Alan passing. Their voices hissed at her and scrutinized her harshly for kissing a vampire.

Then all of their thoughts intruded. '_How the hell am I going to stop the world from ending when Max is the one in charge?' _came from David's mind.

_'There's not enough weed in the world to explain the shit I've seen recently. What the hell is this? Why can't she remember?' __and then nothing but rock music_ came from Paul.

Dwayne sent her nothing but a cold hard stare, almost like he was telling her through his expression that he worried for Marko, that pack blood was stronger than lust and betrayal was punishable by death…

The moment faded and suddenly, there was an urgent and annoying tapping on Serenity's shoulder. "Hey! You want me to drive? Are you alive?"

Serenity opened her eyes. She wasn't standing outside the barn anymore about to kiss Marko in the vision of blood rain turned snow. Edgar sat to her right in the truck, urging her to take the wheel as the engine rumbled, and Alan sat in the back seat.

Edgar waved a hand in front of her eyes. "You havin' a vision or something?" he asked.

Serenity slowly put her fingers to her lips, realizing they were void of anything Marko. "What just happened?" she asked.

Alan hugged the top of the seat anxiously. "We just picked up your horse. Don't you remember? This is all part of that stupid plan you agreed to."

She blinked and looked at Edgar in a daze. "The plan?"

"Yeah the plan," Edgar said, giving her an exaggerated nod. "We're headed up to haunted hill." He looked away and puckered his lips. "God only knows why you'd want to keep your horse there."

"Drive man, drive!" Alan urged pushing on her shoulder. "Those night crawlers are going to beat us to it."

Serenity suddenly snapped and turned, pushing Alan hard against the back seat. Her eyes flared with the same orange, yellow color she had shown Howie and his assistant back at the lab. "Don't you ever call them that!" she hissed. "Ever!"

"But that's what they are," Edgar pleaded. He sat back and put his hand to the window. "Dam, that kiss really jumbled your mind."

Serenity calmed and inquisitively leaned towards Edgar. "So I did kiss him?"

"Uh yeah," Alan glared, crossing his arms. "Worse than leeches sucking face for an hour."

Serenity frowned and inquired some more. "And the rain, did it turn to snow?"

Edgar looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. "Does it look like it's been snowing out here to you? Are you hallucinating? Ya' been smoking with these guys?" He ignored her evil glare and tapped the dashboard. "Drive, woman, drive!" he urged.

Serenity rubbed her face and took the wheel. " I need answers," she whispered, putting the truck in gear, oblivious to the dark eyes that watched them from the barn.

About twenty minutes later she pulled the truck over to the side of a long gravel road and killed the engine with a deep sigh of relief. The ride over had been a slippery unpleasant one. The trailer itself had zigzagged all over the place. It would be a miracle if she ever got the Black back into one after this.

She looked over at Edgar and Alan. They were both staring out the windows, looking for signs of the other four.

"That's weird," Serenity pondered, opening the door. "There's no rain here. How can that be?"

"I told you," Edgar said, climbing out, "This is a bad idea. This place is haunted."

The Black screamed inside the trailer and Serenity rushed to pull the ramp down. "I don't think ghosts or ghouls could keep a religious downpour away."

Her horse anxiously backed out and snorted, tossing his head to see the rest of the scene. Serenity tied his lead to each side of his halter, improvising for reins and jumped on his back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alan asked tugging at his backpack to get it secure for the hundredth time.

"I'm riding. What does it look like?" Serenity smarted. "It's not my fault you insist on carrying that thing with you everywhere. You might as well leave it in the truck, since we're not staying for very long."

"It's better to be prepared," Edgar insisted, snapping his tight as well. He and his brother put their heads forward and marched on ahead of her towards the black abyss. Serenity shrugged and clucked to the Black. He rose high in the air and took off in a gallop past the Frogs.

Meanwhile, the boys had already made it to the steps of the old house, even though David still limped along, half hanging onto Paul for support. The lost boy kept adjusting himself as though David was almost too heavy.

"Why don't you have Serenity fix that for ya?" he asked, lifting David's arm off his shoulder as he took a seat on the steps. "You know she can heal that shit."

"I'll ask her when I'm dam good and ready," David grumbled, looking around at all the tattered wooden carvings. "And watch where you sit, there's rotting wood everywhere."

Paul jumped up and studied his chosen seat carefully. When he was sure it would be safe, he sat back down, plucking a piece of long grass to chew on. "Kinda odd how this place doesn't have any of that rain," he smirked, nodding towards Marko.

Marko was pre-occupied, fiddling with his gloves as he studied the road for any sign of Serenity. He knew she was near; he had caught her scent in the breeze.

"What's the matter bud, you planning on going in for seconds? And ya know you don't have to worry about wining and dining her, cuz even if you do happen to rip her throat out in the heat of passion, she'll just pop right back up," Paul whaled, slapping his knee with one hand. "That's my kinda date right there."

Marko looked back over his shoulder with a scowl. "Shut the fuck up, Paul."

Dwayne couldn't help but smile despite his doubts because Paul was right, and he knew David didn't want her for sex. His plan ran deeper.

A subtle breeze swept through again, causing an old wind chime hanging from a tree not far from the boys to sing, and the old house itself creaked. Something within moved and there was a loud bang, as if pots and pans had been thrown to the floor, causing an owl to screech and fly out one of the broken windows.

Paul jumped off the porch and turned to see it. "Son of a mother…maybe it is haunted."

David had taken a seat on what looked like an old wine barrel, and watched the frightened owl take off into the night. "Just rats making the old wives tales even more believable," he smirked. "That girl better hurry up…"

Before he could finish his sentence the sound of hoof beats ricocheted against the gravel as the Black and his rider strode in gracefully under the old wooden arch and eagle that defined the entry to the place. Serenity tossed her hair and eyed the surroundings, feeling more alive now that she had had a quick ride and wind in her face.

Marko moved to help her down, but the Black bared his teeth and nipped at him. Serenity laughed and jumped down. She untied the lead and urged Dwayne to take it from her, all the while still looking at Marko. "Sorry, he just doesn't know you. Give it a bit. Besides, I'm no girly girl," she winked.

Marko stepped out of the way studying the horse's eyes. Wild and untamed was something he understood well, and this was definitely no small pigeon.

Dwayne looked baffled. "Well it's obvious you two have made friends," Serenity continued, looking up at the talisman he had tied in the stallion's mane. "By all means, show us to this pasture you speak of."

She put the lead in his hands and smiled at Marko, who continued to watch her with ever growing infatuation.

"Hey, I never got to thank you… for…you know, saving my ass," Serenity said, standing to the side of the Black as Dwayne undid the latch to the gate. But he didn't say anything or turn around. "So thanks," she continued, brushing the dirt off of her hands.

Finally he looked back at her with almost the same expression he had given the first time they met. It was a stern, almost menacing gaze. He let the Black slip through the gate and set him loose. "If the fate of the world depends on you, you better keep your focus on what's important," he answered.

Serenity felt him pushing through her mind and she let her new feelings for Marko come to the surface. This caused Dwayne's expression to lighten and he put his hand on her shoulder. "I would hate to see something good be lost forever," he finished.

Serenity smiled and nodded, biting at her bottom lip. "Come on," Dwayne said with half a smile. "Let's go check out this house that's soo haunted."


	11. Uninvited

The door to the house fell off its hinges when David pushed it open. Serenity stood at his side peering in to see if anything ghostly moved, but only the many years worth of cobwebs fluttered from the breeze and motion of the door. Serenity found the possibility of it being haunted exhilarating. She had never seen an actual ghost or ghoul before, other than Howie, but reckoned the two were different from each other.

Edgar and Alan had also made their way up to the daunting old house, and pushed themselves through the group so that they stood just inside. Even they seemed a bit intrigued by the eerie remnants and looked on at them as though seeing for the first time.

"What did I tell you boys…old wives tales," David said, finally stepping through the door.

Serenity studied the layout as the other boys circled the room, and ran a finger over one dusty, stuffed lion, tapping its snarling mouth with one finger. The size of this animal stuffed was fascinating and yet at the same time a bit freaky, for fear it might suddenly rejoin the living. But even though the idea was impossible, someone had gone to great efforts to keep this beast looking animated and attentive in the afterlife.

Paul hopped on the staircase and bounced up and down, testing what remained of the wood as he glanced upward with his mouth hanging open. "Psst, hey, Serenity…" he tapped the railing with one hand and looked down at her. "Whatever you do, don't use the bathroom up there, it's a fucking mess." He curled into himself and let out a hooting laugh like he knew the reason why and would rather joke about it than reveal the truth.

Serenity frowned and snickered, not completely understanding what he meant other than the house was obviously in shambles. She looked around for Marko, but he had disappeared into another part of the house, so she moved on to study the outline of a dilapidated fireplace just to the side of the lion. The stone casing around it was smothered in soot, and a lone wood poker sat to the side of it, waiting to stoke another fire. Serenity reached down, for some reason compelled to push the ashes around with her finger, and was startled to find some of them were still warm. It caught her off guard and she stood quickly, backing away and stumbled into an old broken vase.

It cut into the side of her hand and she yelped, holding it out in front of her to watch the blood run and drop to the floor. The normally rapid healing process her flesh usually went through wasn't working this time, and she winced, sucking at the wound before she held it tightly in her other hand between her legs.

Marko heard her from the other room and instantly caught the scent of her blood. Thinking someone might have found them, he hurried to her.

When she saw him coming, she hastily turned around to face the wall. "I'm alright," she whispered.

Marko noticed the blood on the floor. "No you're not," he said calmly. "You're hurt."

"Yeah well…I'm not healing either." Her voice was meek and tinged with worry.

He took her gently by the arm and turned her around, slowly lifting the wounded hand to take a look. It was deep and her blood was still seeping freely. She flinched when he ran a finger over it and put it to his own mouth, gently running his tongue over the gash.

Serenity cringed and closed her eyes tight afraid he might let loose and dig in for more, but the feel of his cold lips against her skin was not painful, but soothing. There was a slight tingling sensation where the cut had been and Marko pulled her hand away from his mouth. He ran a finger over the spot again and smiled. "Better now?"

Serenity studied her skin for a moment in amazement, and looked up at him with wide eyes, having had no idea they could do that. "Yes…thank you." She stared into the endless blue of his peepers, and drowsily pointed towards the fireplace. "I uh…who builds a fire in the summer?"

Before he could respond, Paul came scooting down the stairs, trying his best to slide the rail, but the old wood just wobbled back and fourth under his weight. "Hey, you guys should really check this out!" he exclaimed. "There are burning candles up here, and all the beds are made. It's creepy, like the ghosts were expecting us, and I swear on my human mothers name, I haven't taken any acid."

"No Paul, not ghosts," David said, wobbling in from the kitchen. "Someone has been living here, which is probably what the Frog boys heard and have been hunting."

Edgar and Alan joined them, holding up their weapons, which now consisted of crossbows, knives and one tattered cross. "We found an outlet to the sunroom," Alan said, one eye closed close to the bow's arrow, ready to hit any target that moved. "It's full of plants and flowers…and some sort of shower type thing."

"We think the ghoul's been living here for quite some time," Edgar added, holding his cross way out in front of him. "Crosses never lie."

Serenity grunted, still holding her hand in shock. "Yes, because ghouls often feel the need to take showers."

Marko and Paul snorted, trying to keep from laughing, while David gave Serenity a curious, wondering look and when she didn't respond, gave Marko the same inquisition. "Is she ok?" he asked.

Serenity looked up from her hand, half startled by the fact that David knew what had happened, but then again, the smell of blood was in the air.

"I took care of it," Marko answered calmly, as Dwayne suddenly flew in through the front door. He had gone out the back to secure the perimeter, but now he looked anything but safe. "David," he growled, lifting the door and setting it back on it's hinges, making sure to lock the deadbolt when it was good and closed. "We've been followed."

Serenity jumped back, halfway hiding herself behind Marko. This was not a good time to face an enemy, especially while she was less than perfect in the special gift department.

Edgar and Alan took position in front of the door, readying their weapons. "If they want Serenity, they'll have to get by us first," Alan snarled, curling his fingers around the trigger of the arrow.

"It's not human," Dwayne said, trying to round them up and push them towards the stairs.

"Back off man," Edgar growled, pushing Dwayne's arm aside. "This is our job. We prefer the non human type."

"You guys are fucking idiots," Dwayne snapped, finally getting behind them. He looked to David with darkened eyes and a slight shrug.

The gears in David's head were turning. He had to act fast before something less than favorable happened. "Marko! Take our princess upstairs," he demanded. "Paul, go with them. Dwayne, you stay with me."

Paul nodded and bounded up the stairs, steering clear of the bathroom. This time, he would take position in a bedroom where there wasn't any water.

Marko turned and took Serenity's arm and pulled her towards the stairs. His sudden army commando gesture made her protest and fight against the pull. She understood more and more the power of David's persuasive speech. If he asked Marko to jump, Marko asked how high, completely forgetting any connection he might have with her. Which only led her to believe that David must have been Marko's sire. Where had she heard that used before? Oh well, it didn't matter much, except for the fact that one minute Marko made her feel good and the next, he was hurting her.

"Let GO!" she demanded, ripping her arm away from his grip so fast that she had to grasp at the bottom rail to keep from going over backwards. Marko looked back and caught her by the arm again, quickly letting go when she had straightened herself. "I'm perfectly capable of running up stairs on my own," she continued, now seeing the look of apology in his eyes.

She made a move to go around him, aggravated by how the whole situation made her feel less than competent, only to pause again when a horrible screeching sound came from just outside the door. Both of them turned to look down at the old wooden frame the house had for a door, and Paul peeked around the corner to see what was going on. "What the fuck was that?" he asked. The noises got louder and closer, to the point where it sounded like a hundred hands were pounding on the door.

Edgar and Alan looked at each other fearfully over their weapons and slowly started to back away. David and Dwayne helped them along by pushing them aside as they let their vampire selves appear.

Not one of them moved as the door rattled and shook violently until it finally flew open, back off its hinges and crashed against the bottom of the stairs.

Serenity glanced down at the door and then back up with horrified eyes to watch a dark figure float in through the entrance. It was a small figure iron clad in a black gown, with its face completely concealed by the hood of its velvet cape. It let out a low screeching moan as it rose above their heads, almost eye level with Paul, and threw the hood back.

"No fucking way!" Paul gasped, looking into the stranger's red and black eyes. "It's Carla!"

The floating figure snarled and pointed a gnarly finger at Serenity, hissing her name. It then threw its head back and let out a harpy pitched laugh. Only the vampires seemed affected by it as they covered their highly tuned ears.

"She's possessed!" David yelled, still holding his hands over his ears as Dwayne flew up to knock her out of the air. He grabbed the wench by the arms and they twirled around until she sent Dwayne flying across the room and into the next.

David hissed and went up next. Carla only sang harder with laughter as she sunk below the blonde vampire and caught him by his injured leg. She twisted his preternatural skin, pushing the thorn in deeper as David let out a horrific cry and sent his fangs into the top of her head.

He quickly released his bite when the venomous blood of the demon slid across his tongue, singeing the delicate taste buds there. With a swift pull up, Carla had him dangling from his feet and tossed him in the same direction as Dwayne.

Marko growled and before Serenity could protest, was up in the air to face her himself. He managed to get one clean swipe with his claws across her face before she sent him toppling through the thick, heavy doors that led to the kitchen, sending splinters of wood and glass in every direction.

Serenity heard Marko let out a cry of pain and moved down a few stairs, but before she could rush to his aid, the banshee pushed her back with her mind alone, and shook her head fiercely.

"You bitch!" Paul cried, breaking off a piece of the railing. He lunged up into the air, holding the wood in his hand like a piercing stake.

"No Paul, don't!" Serenity yelled, looking down at the Frogs. Both of them stood mystified; their weapons dropped to their sides. "Do something, you idiots!"

Edgar and Alan shook themselves and readied their weapons taking aim, and sent a few metal arrows in Carla's direction.

Paul had already caught her in the air, and drove the wood down in force to pierce her heart, but Carla caught him half way and turned the splintered board in the direction of his heart instead. He strained against her to keep it from going straight through him.

Edgar and Alan's arrows proved no match for the banshee; they bounced off her covered skin like soft petaled flowers.

"Nooo!" Serenity screamed, unwilling to watch the vampire die. It struck a nerve deep down inside of her as if she needed to save him no matter what the cost. She swung herself back on the railing, trying to break the hold Carla had on her.

"Serenity, get upstairs!" Paul whaled, still fighting to keep from getting impaled.

Carla raised the board high in the air again and brought it down fast towards Paul's heart, but before it had the chance to reach its target, someone else entered the room.

The unknown figure marched forward holding one hand high. Serenity couldn't see what it was he held, but the light it reflected sent Carla into a fit of rage. She released her grip on Paul and the piece of railing.

Paul dropped to the ground, landing easily on his feet. He glanced back at the scene and then made for Marko, who was still lying in the rubble of broken glass and wood.

The figure with the light held steady, making his way closer to Carla. She shrieked and sank back against the wall, still high in the air. The light that came from the object in the strangers hand matched the sun's rays, and it burned the banshee; burned her cape and gown away to ashes, even burned her skin and hair.

"No, no, no," Carla pleaded, hugging the bare wall with her back while trying to cover her nudity with her hands. "Why does he hurt me so?"

The Frog brothers looked dumbfounded. This time they had dropped their weapons completely and stood with their mouths open watching the quaint display of power the stranger had brought fourth.

He said nothing, the figure, but moved even further forward. The nearer he got to Carla, the brighter the light. Her skin was melting away and soon there would be nothing but a skeleton left.

"Wait!" Serenity yelled. "She's a human being, you can't just kill her!"

The odd boy paid no attention to Serenity's pleas. He moved another step closer and Carla fell to the ground in a burning heap. Her ashes lifted into the air, and with the same light, the stranger guided them out the door where they were carried away by the breeze.

Edgar stumbled forward, holding up his cross. "Who the hell are you?"

The boy turned and Edgar had to catch his breath, for his eyes had no pigment; the pupils were completely white. He held his object out towards Edgar's cross and Alan realized that it too was a cross, no bigger than a large paper clip, and the front of it was a mirror. "I know who I am," the boy replied. "But who the hell are you?"

"We're the Frogs," Edgar stated. "We're dedicated to a higher purpose…"

The boy rolled his white eyes and blinked. "Never mind, I don't want to know." He turned his attention towards Serenity and felt for the railing. "I'm sorry for that," he told her, tilting his head towards Carla's remains. "Once they are taken over by something like that, there is no going back to human. It had to be done."

Serenity was slumped back sitting on one of the steps, still holding the rail above her head. She looked at the boy in disbelief and then over at the fallen vampires. Her heart sank as she panicked for Marko.

A small smile crept over the boy's face and he took a breath. "Don't worry, they will be fine. Their wounds are nothing you can't fix," he said pleasantly. "I've been waiting for you."


	12. Spells & Hybrids

Max hastily made his way up towards the main laboratory where one of his assistants, Lucas, had made a fascinating discovery. Max only hoped it had to do with the force field he was trying to put up around Santa Carla, enabling the city to become a complete and perfect night, even during the daylight hours.

Their research had gone awry in that department simply because none of them knew how to work the spells properly, or use magic in the correct way. So far, Max had lost a total of ten employees on magic's account. They had simply vanished into thin air, perhaps to another plane of existence, and there was no time left to figure out a way to bring them back. 'Perhaps after the ritual,' Max had said, quite simply. In fact, his casual way of brushing aside his losses was making it difficult to find anyone else in the building that would try to conjure a spell, for fear that they might disappear too.

Lucas, however, had recently found a way to transfer spells into their computer systems main frame, and from there was able to do the required experimental testing. He could pinpoint a location on the map in the computer and send the force field spell to that exact spot. If it worked, the area on the map would simply turn black. Unfortunately, he could never get the spell to last for more than eight minutes at a time, and the local witches refused to help.

Max didn't bother asking why Lucas had not been more persuasive to these certain witches, because he knew the true nature of the beast. One witch might get angry and put a hexing spell on all of them, and that simply would not due. Of course when the ritual itself was over, Max would have them all eating out of his hand, and if he didn't, he would simply annihilate them.

Now Lucas had stumbled onto something even more brilliant. He had pulled Max away from the video store to show him his discovery.

"So, Lucas," Max said as he entered the room, "just what is this all about, hmm?"

Lucas hurried forward, putting his hands against Max's chest to stop him from going any further in the room. He looked back over his shoulder excitedly and then turned to Max with a great smile on his face, pulling his hands back when Max finally stopped.

"You are not going to believe this, sir," he said, doing a little victory dance. "I just want you to know that whatever happens, it's been a pleasure working for you, and I'd gladly do it again in a heartbeat."

Max looked down at him over the tops of his glasses and put his hands on his hips. "You sound like this is the end, you silly boy. Now tell me, why are you so jumpy tonight?"

He reached for Max's arm without touching it, beckoning him to follow, and turned towards the large computer system. It sat in the corner of the room in what looked like a large cubicle. The far wall of the cubicle to the naked eye looked as though it went all the way to the ceiling, however, if you walked behind it, you would find that there was yet another wall completely separate from the cubicle. This formed a small corridor, much like part of a labyrinth that led straight into the room behind the computer system, and this is where Lucas had hidden his secret discovery.

On a bed, resembling more of an operating table, completely dressed in white silk, laid a young girl. Her beauty lit up the room, despite all the electrodes and IV tubes connected to her; her hair was a fiery auburn color, her skin a pale, milky white, much like a vampires might be, but hers contained more sheen and a sun kissed glow.

"Good grief, Lucas," Max scolded. "What have you done?"

Lucas held his confidence and pointed towards the girl as he moved closer to her. "She's one of them sir," he said as his finger hit something hard and he instantly pulled it away, shaking off the slight pain he felt. "She has the same tattoo, look…"

Max stepped closer, careful not to touch the invisible sphere that surrounded the girl and stared down at her left inner thigh. It was hard to see it with the way she was laying, but the tip of the outline, the griffon and the unicorn, he could plainly see.

"So what happened?" Max asked, waving a hand over the force field.

"We got her all hooked up, ready to draw blood and then this happened." He carefully tapped on the sphere that encased the girl protectively. "It has to be her power. Except, now we can't get through it to study her."

"Well then, simply unplug the sedative feed and wake her up," Max said, carefully looking the girl over once more. "Besides, it doesn't really matter to me what you do with her, she's not the one I want."

Lucas scratched his head showing a tinge of disappointment. "Yes, but…sir, this is the power we need for the shields around Santa Carla. If we can extract this from her, we'll have all the power we need for it. But I'm afraid if we wake her, she'll escape."

"Hmm, yes I see your point. Very good," Max replied, rubbing his chin. "Their blood has such a sweet smell doesn't it?"

Lucas looked up at him questioningly with a slight frown. "Sir?" He let the thought slide and shook it off, looking back down at the girl. "Anyway, you know if she gets to Serenity first…"

"Yes I'm well aware of what Serenity's powers are, but she's with my boys, and I'm sure they are keeping her far away from any…uh…supernatural forces, like this girl here." Max pondered for a moment, tracing the tubing from the machine to the girls flesh. "See if you can wake her slowly, and then give her some of that sedative we gave Serenity, maybe that'll keep her from using this nifty little power she has."

Lucas nodded. "Very good sir."

Max gave him a good pat on the back. "I should put you in charge of everything," he told him. "I have yet to find a way to produce day plants that can live in the dark. It's simply testing my mood. And, well, you can't expect tourists to come visit if there is no food, now can you?"

Lucas let out a small huff and a half worried, unknowing smile. "Sounds like you're trying to lure the people to Santa Carla after the dark has taken over," he said without looking up. That was twice now that his boss had associated people with food, or as food, and it made him a little nervous.

"Well," Max sounded very positive, "My family has to eat." He grinned proudly and looked down at Lucas. "You're not losing faith in my project are you Lucas? I would hate to lose such a wonderful employee and scientist such as yourself." He licked his lips hungrily, thinking that perhaps if he had to, he could take in all of Lucas' knowledge by drinking his blood.

Lucas hurriedly caught Max's gaze. "Definitely not sir, you have all of my attention," he answered swiftly, trying to keep from trembling.

Max pursed his lips, half disappointed. He hadn't fed in ages. "Very good. Keep up the good work. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to contact one of my children." Max gave a nod to Lucas and headed out of the corridor.

Lucas took a deep breath in and let the air escape through his lips. Max always made him feel on edge, but now he could focus more clearly on the object at hand. He tapped at the sphere again. "Now my pretty, pretty, time to rise and shine."

Max headed back down the stairs towards yet another lab, smaller than the main one, lit by only a few black lights and draped in heavy, burgundy, velvet curtains. Many trays sat on the counter in this one, filled with black liquids and clear liquids. It nicely resembled that of a photo lab used to develop film. Several black capes hung in the open closet, awaiting their next owner.

A few ordinary mortals waited in line just outside the room, thinking, more or less, hypnotized into thinking they were there to give blood and try a new injection of vitamins that hadn't been released out into the sales market yet. It was guaranteed to make them feel like a whole new person by the time they left. In reality, they would be new, but they wouldn't be themselves.

Again, Max had found a way to mix his blood with another demons for a trans-possession of sorts that was entirely more powerful than just a regular possession. He was building an army as back up to reassure his success. Carla had been the first. Max knew she kept the stable where Serenity took the Black, and therefore, he would also know if she suddenly decided to move him. Little did he know that Carla had been terminated.

Max watched the time on the clock in the room. "Marti, has Carla checked in yet?" He asked of the tech that was busy injecting a black serum into the next human subject. The person was strapped down in what looked like a dentist chair, and as soon as the serum hit their blood, they started to convulse. This only lasted for a minute or two, and Max paid it no mind.

"No sir, she hasn't," Marti answered, quickly filling another syringe.

"Hmm, well this is just troublesome," Max, stated. "How are the rest of the subjects doing?"

Marti injected the human with yet another dose, only this time the persons eyes changed colors from black to red; with the final stage complete, he un-strapped the guy. "As you can see sir, they are doing quite well."

The new possessed human nodded at Max and quietly moved to the closet to change his clothes.

"Wonderful," Max concluded. "Now I must really contact my childe. Will you please notify me when Carla returns?"

The tech nodded agreeably and moved on to the next person in line.

Max found the way to his office and closed the door, taking a comfortable seat at his desk. Finally he could concentrate and send a mental call to David.

_'David, how is my girl? I sincerely hope things are going as planned. Perhaps you should meet me at the New Life building?'_

There was no answer. After five minutes had passed, Max decided to try again. _'David, where are you? You can't ignore me, please don't make me come find you, you will not like the consequences.'_

Still no answer, he licked his lips and smacked them together. "Oh how I hate it when my boys misbehave," he said out loud.


	13. Discoveries

David caught the scent of the unknown presence through his half conscious state and moved to get up, but the wall and heavy timbers he had been thrown through held him down. The unrelenting pain in his leg from the thorn that had been shoved further up the inside of his calf muscle made him roar out in agony because he was unable to adjust his position to set it right and take the pressure off. Not only was the pain a bloody burden, but Max had also sent out a mental call to him, one of which he chose to ignore. Little black stars danced before his amber eyes as he heard, who he knew had to be Dwayne, crawling in his direction.

"Dwayne, get me out of this fucking tree," he growled, trying to move his hands up his chest to make sure there were no puncture wounds from the wood.

Dwayne had already lifted two of the heavy timbers, easily tossing them aside. He picked up the third and stood questioning David's words for a moment, looking down at the spot where David lay. "Tree?" he asked.

David, irritated, jiggled himself around to try and free the rest of his torso. "It's wood isn't it? It comes from the God dam trees!" He struggled again harder and managed to rip a hole in his trench coat. "Fuck! I'm sick of replacing these dam things."

Dwayne disregarded his sire's contempt and tossed the last timber aside. "I told you, you should have had Serenity heal that dam thing for you," he said, referring to the thorn in his leg and offering him a hand up.

A few feet away on the other side of what remained of the wall, Paul was helping Marko to his feet. He hadn't been buried like the other two, but a sharp piece of wood had struck him through, right below his rib cage; however fate may have it, it had missed damaging his precious jacket. But the pain caused him to lean over onto Paul and move rather sluggishly into the other room where it could be examined further before pulling it out.

"Where the hell would a fucking banshee come from?" Paul asked, furiously kicking the rubble away from their feet as they moved closer to the banister where Serenity and their mystery boy stood.

Marko placed his hand below the wood protruding from his abdomen. His own blood had stained his white shirt and he grimaced down at the splinters poking through. "Shit…I got too much in me," he strained to say, as beads of blood sweat started to gather on his forehead.

Paul adjusted himself, pulling Marko's arm up further around his neck. "Relax bud, I gotcha," he reassured him, looking down at the wound. "We'll have Serenity clean ya up real good."

Serenity gulped when she saw them and moved cautiously past the unknown boy, trying not to make eye contact with him. He smelled like squeaky-clean soap scented with lavender or lilac; something an elderly lady might smell of, and it repulsed her more than his eyes did. Yet there was something familiar about him at the same time, something she couldn't quite put a finger on. She wanted to thank him for saving her, but couldn't find the right words as she moved down the remaining stairs.

"Serenity be careful!" Edgar warned, moving closer to the boy with his cross held high. "Vampires have rotten tempers when they're wounded. He could rip you apart."

The boy looked back over his shoulder and gave him a crooked smile. "He won't hurt her," he encouraged. "Their past goes way back."

Serenity wasn't sure what that meant, but gave Edgar a small nod to show that she believed what this boy had to say and stepped lightly towards the two vampires. Paul's face had changed into his feral state from seeing Edgar's cross and she figured it was his instincts playing their part in defense, for he still regarded her with decency. She looked into his eyes unabashed.

"It's alright little sis," Paul whispered. "You don't have to believe what those frog fucks say. Marko knows it's you."

Serenity took a deep breath for good measure and moved to Marko's side, carefully putting a hand over his just under the reddened wood protruding from his abdomen, but it did little more than cause him to let out a pained moan. He tilted his head to look at her and she wiped the blood sweat away from his forehead and smeared it across her jeans.

The smell of her intoxicated him and he couldn't fight back the change. His fangs descended and his eyes burned the same amber color Paul's did, as he unmeaning to, reached out with his free hand and grabbed for her, causing her to jump back a few steps.

Paul wasn't expecting that, although he should have known, he couldn't hide the surprise on his face. "Shit man, I'm sorry," he apologized, looking shamefully around the room at the others. "I swear to you…I know he won't hurt you."

"Bullshit!" Alan yelled, taking steps to the front of the boy and Edgar. He raised his crossbow into the air and targeted Marko. "That bloodsucker takes one more lunge at her and he's getting it through the heart this time."

"Boy, I'm going to rip you in half if you don't put that dam thing down," Paul warned, pointing his free finger at Alan. "You don't know shit!"

The boy folded his arms and sighed. "This is not working out at all," he said, looking down at the ground in frustration. He thought for a moment and then turned his attention to Edgar. "You know, it's not supposed to be like this. I'm not even sure how you two are involved…"

"Well you're right about one thing," David interrupted, coming up from behind Alan with some help from Dwayne. He put his hand on Alan's shoulder. "These little tadpoles are nothing but a pain in my ass."

Startled, Alan jumped and spun around, pointing the arrow directly at David's chest. Dwayne growled and snatched it away, tossing it across the room behind them before pushing Alan back against the foot of the stairs. "Should I give you a lesson in manners?" he asked, his voice deep and demanding.

Edgar refrained from answering and took a position on the other side of Alan, who still refused to be cooperative. He lifted the corner of his lip and glared at Dwayne before looking past him to make sure his weapon of choice was unscathed.

"What ever happened to working together, huh?" David asked, frowning as he pushed his injured leg forward. "I don't have time to baby sit. Dawn is coming, which means we need to find shelter pronto." He ran his gloved hands down the sides of his long coat and felt of the rips before plunging into the pockets searching for a smoke. "And we need to get that wood out of Marko before the sun comes up." He looked over at the boy for the first time with a questioning expression and raised eyebrows. "I don't suppose there are any rooms in this house dark enough to keep the sunlight out? I didn't get the chance to figure that out the last time we visited this hell hole."

Finally, the boy thought, as he smiled back at David holding his tiny mirrored cross out in front of him once again while using his other hand to feel around. He moved towards the back of the stairs and ran one hand over the railing and down the side of the steps, feeling for the underside until his fingers hit their target. There was a slight buzzing sound before thick, heavy shades worked by modern electronics rolled themselves down over all the windows in the old house.

The boy stepped out with a satisfied expression, using his cross as a light source and smiled. "Like I said, I've been waiting for you…of course we'll need some candles as well. Follow me." He carefully proceeded past David, still reaching out to feel for obstructions in his path and moved towards the dining room, lighting various candles here and there with his tiny weapon.

Dwayne looked at David and shrugged. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect

setting. Besides the front door that lay in shambles, the house was secure, and far enough away from the town so that hopefully no more unwanted intruders would come knocking. This was his fort Knox of choice, and curiosity was getting the best of him. Who was this boy, and what did he know about them? With a slight amused expression, and knowing that his sire hated being assisted, he took David's arm around his neck once again and followed the white-eyed stranger through the house.

Edgar and Alan huffed and moved after them, walking as though they had invisible tails tucked between their legs. Edgar took one hateful look at his beaten cross and chucked it across the room so that it landed beside Alan's fallen crossbow. "Again, we are beaten down by our enemy," he whispered.

Serenity followed after them, checking back every few seconds to make sure Paul and Marko were still following. Paul's face had reverted back to normal and he gave her a sweet smile as if to say all was well. He had spotted some hefty ganja on the counter back in the kitchen and once his pack mates were all healed up, he had plans for his sweet Mary Jane.

They entered the dining room which was in itself a little out of the ordinary as it contained the classic heavy oak table and chairs, above which hung a very dusty, cobweb-infested chandelier, but on the other hand there were several lazy chairs, a semi clean couch, and a bookshelf full of books.

Paul sat Marko down on the couch and with a smile grabbed Serenity by the wrist and pulled her over next to him. "Come here babe," he said with amusement. "What are you so scared of, huh? It's not like you're going to die if he bites you." He smiled wickedly again and sat down on the other side of her, patting her knee. "Hell, you might even like it."

Edgar and Alan took seats at the large dining table, folding their arms on top of it with less than amenable faces. They looked like two angry kids who were being scolded for running through the house with squirt guns. Alan took note of the grapes on the table and began plucking them from the vine, eager to find the right moment when David had his guard down; no one abused his weapons and got away with it.

Dwayne took a seat in front of Marko on the coffee table, while David remained standing to give instruction.

"It's not in too deep," Dwayne said, leaning over to look at the wound with one quick glance at Serenity. He half expected her to be squeamish and look away, but her eyes remained glued to every movement he made.

David crossed his bad leg over his good one and folded his arms. "Good, you can pull it out. Paul be ready," he advised.

"Are you ready, Serenity?" Paul asked, pulling back the sleeve of his own coat to expose the veins in his wrist. He wanted to make sure she was ok with all of it before he gnashed his flesh open in front of her.

The boy took a spot just behind the couch and put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture she was uncomfortable with and shook it off. "What will I be doing exactly?" she asked.

"Ok, here's how this works," Dwayne advised. "Paul's blood will close the wound, but we need you to heal it completely. Can you do that?"

"I'm not sure," she answered, slinking back a little more into the couch. "My gifts aren't exactly working right now."

The boy placed his hand on her shoulder once more, knowing she would need his energy for the healing. "Just trust me," he said, "I can help you."

Serenity agreed and looked at Paul. He winked at her and put his wrist to his mouth with fangs extended. "Rock on," he whispered before biting down.

Marko seemed to be conscious of the room, his eyes were still open, but a bit hazed and he said nothing. It was as if he was in some state of shock that vampires went through when they were injured. Dwayne took the splintered wood in one hand and placed the other to the side of it, causing one small moan to escape from his friend. With one sharp tug, the fragmented wood came out clean.

Paul immediately put his hand over the small hole in Marko's stomach and let his blood flow into it, having to slash his wrist several times to keep it coming, and like magic, the skin around the area began to knit itself back together. Serenity put her hand over it next, with urging from Paul, shocked to see just how little blood there was, where as a human would have made a mess all over the upholstery. She let her energy flow, feeling it rise from the center of her being and pushed it through her arms to the tips of her fingers to the point where she almost felt dizzy. But she also felt the boy's energy flowing through her. It was crystal clear and clean, untainted by drugs and vampire marks as hers had been.

It took but a moment for this magic to work, and Marko sat up straighter, watching Serenity do her work with her eyes closed. She looked like she rather enjoyed feeding from someone else's life force, he thought, chuckling to himself as he reached up to brush the side of her cheek.

She felt his hand and leaned into it, lost in the moment, gulping down whatever power the strange boy had to give her. Her mind floated, driven on ecstasy with a tingling feeling in her gut, and suddenly let out a loud moan.

Paul looked up at the boy in bewilderment. "What the…? Hey now," he said, reaching over Marko to tap the boy. "No sexual orgies without my permission."

Serenity opened her eyes with a deep breath, elated to see that Marko's deep, gorgeous eyes were the first things she saw. "Better now?" She asked with a confident smile, thinking back a few hours before when he had healed her hand and asked the same thing.

"Absolutely," he answered, looking hypnotically at her with one brow raised higher than the other. He knew what she had felt in that little moment when the boy behind them was giving his energy to her. It was much like the same feeling he got when he hunted and drank the blood of his victims, something almost better than orgasm. _So you like that huh?_ He gave her a sly smile. _Don't worry, I won't tell._

He touched her again, causing her heart to race, as he sent the same vibes back to her. She gasped and covered her mouth, looking away from him to keep a pleasured scream from escaping and found…David. Now, there was a sight for sore eyes in her opinion. It was down right pathetic how he hobbled back and fourth in front of the coffee table, waiting his turn to be healed. She didn't want to touch him. He was a selfish bastard for the most part. She guessed that if Marko's injury had been less, David would have insisted on going first.

Dwayne moved out of the way, and Marko stood up, pulling the never-ending magnetism he seemed to have with Serenity a few feet away. She couldn't help but let out a small whimper, pained to feel the space between them. Paul reached over and patted her on the knee. "Silly girl," he said with a small chuckle. "Play time comes later."

She didn't say anything back, but waited for David to have a seat. Instead he simply placed his leg up on the table in front of her and pulled his jeans up as high as they would go. Serenity braced herself as the boy placed his hand on her once again, afraid that her emotions would come across wrong in David's mind, as she had no desire for him to see her inner most private thoughts.

But instead, this time the energy was different, normal, and set her mind at ease. She ran her hand down his calf, urging the thorn to follow and exit the spot of entrance, and for a moment she saw the lab, the poor, heartless guy that he had tortured for her cure, and Max. His hand came down hard across David's face and Serenity felt it. She jumped back in her seat as the thorn landed in her hand, poking her flesh. "Dam it!" she cursed, throwing the thorn to the floor.

She pushed herself off the couch and went to the dining table taking a seat at the far end away from Edgar and Alan. David followed her and took a seat beside her, leaning over to whisper a thank you in her ear. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms defiantly. Marko saw this and hurried over to take the other seat beside her.

"It reeks of vampire pheromones in here," Alan growled, avoiding looking at David.

"Hell yeah!" Paul whistled. "And it's usually followed by a brief feeling of euphoria."

"That's because you're always high, you ball sack!" Dwayne shot back at him with a glare. "I doubt anyone would want to smell your fungus."

"Oh, ho ho, you got that wrong brotha! There's lots'a lucky ladies out there who've had the pleasure of smelling the Paul fungus."

Alan grabbed hold of his beret and pulled it angrily down over his ears before smacking his hands down on the table. "Can we just get on with it already? You know, it could be the end of the world as we know it, Serenity's death…" He quickly gave up on the grape raid and dropped them to the floor.

Serenity panicked for a moment hearing this, but felt Marko reach his hand under the table and place it close to her inner thigh for comfort. He smiled sheepishly at her before kicking Alan in the shin. "Dip-shit!" he scolded. "She's not going to die."

"Boys, I think we should stay on topic here, before we pass out right where we stand, or sit," David insisted, folding his hands on the table. He watched curiously as the boy felt his way over to the opposite end of the table and took a seat. "You're obviously the one who's been living here. So tell me, who the hell are you?"

The boy laughed. "You mean you don't know?"

"What I know is that you seem to be blind, yet you can navigate just about anything in here, using that little cross of yours like some kind of magic wand. You saved Serenity from that banshee, when she just hurled us around like little toy airplanes. You obviously knew we were coming or you wouldn't have set the windows up," David stopped and looked around, pointing out all the blackened drapes before continuing. "So, now you know what we know, tell us what you know."

The boy sat back in his chair mystified by their lack of knowledge. "Wow…wow, we do have a lot to talk about. See, I thought you all already knew what we are about," he said, gesturing to Serenity.

Serenity looked taken aback. "We? What do we have in common?" she asked, with a sour twist to her face.

"You have a tattoo right, on your inner thigh?" he asked, rolling up the sleeve of his long sleeved t-shirt. "Looks like this?" He turned his hand wrist side up on the table to show her the tattoo on the inside of his arm.

Serenity gasped, seeing that every detail of it was exactly the same as hers. "Holy…wow…so, how many of us are there?" she asked with a straight face.

"I'm not sure actually. I was just told to come here and wait for you." He looked at David who was rubbing his forehead with his hands. "And yes, I am blind, but I can see others like myself clearly. I can see the four brothers chosen to protect the one…" he stopped and pointed at each of the vampires, then continued. "Which is why, at least for the most part, you can control your cravings for her blood, and, I can see evil. My cross, here, is my power mostly, and it guides me. Course, it's nothing like the power that Serenity has, but then again, she is the one."

Serenity thought for a moment about what Howie's ghost had kept saying to her. "You are the chosen four," she said out loud. "Is that what that means? That they are the four? Is that why crosses and Holy water don't hurt them when I'm around?"

The boy winked at her. "You got it kiddo." He chuckled again to himself. "You see, you all think you bumped into each other on accident, but it was no accident. You've all lived past lives. Max must have known somehow."

"We've been around for a long time. Four of us even died in this house, is that the past life you're talking about? Because I don't recall any of this shit back then, and how the hell do you know Max," Dwayne asked, stepping up behind him with a threatening look as if this boy should keep some things in the past.

The boy twisted his head around to look up at him with an understanding. "Oh, I know a lot. Max is just about as old as we are. He's been researching our kind for centuries; even before you four were vampires. If he had somehow gotten hold of an oracle, he would have known about your past lives, and no I don't mean the ones you had before our two friends here helped navigate your demise. Have you ever wondered why he chose you guys to be his so called family?"

"It wasn't that easy man," Paul said, feeling a shiver run down his spine. The deep stuff always freaked him out. "We didn't exactly come together and say hey, let's be vampires for the rest of our lives. Besides, it was mostly David's doing."

The boy shook his head so that his whole body rocked with it. "So you've been told."

"You think you know who we are, what we are?" David asked him sternly.

"Well, I can see you, so yeah, I do. Once upon a time, in another life, you were the guide, the counselor. Dwayne was the protector. Marko was the lover, and Paul the magician or jokester. The chosen four, right in front of me again after all these millennia, I guess it's fitting considering that your sire is trying to end the world." The boy said this in a half sarcastic tone, as if it just couldn't be done. "That's why I say he must of known about your past lives somehow. He thinks it'll be easier to take Serenity's power that way."

"It's um…it's…who?" Serenity was curious. She wanted to know everything, but her tongue was tied.

"Sage. The name is Sage, and like you, I get my power from the sun. I am also the rightful owner of this house, lovely isn't it." He wiggled one of the loose floorboards under his feet. "Old man Emerson was a close friend of mine for a long time. In a way, he had a part to play in all this too, but that doesn't matter right now."

"Is that why there isn't any red goop out here from the rain?" Edgar finally asked. "How do you explain that?"

"Yes, I can keep it away, just like Serenity can. It comes with prophecy, just like the rain of toads, except this one isn't a natural prophecy, it's man made, or vampire made I should say."

Serenity cleared her throat. "I've been seeing things. Umm…ghosts, and flashes and then a skip in time all together. When I kissed…" she blushed and looked at Marko. "When we kissed…what's that about?"

Sage smiled. "Oh yes, the lovers," he sighed. "It'll stop, trust me. Your body is just catching up. Let me guess, you had a vision of snow?"

Serenity looked relieved and surprised. "Yes."

Sage nodded and bit his lower lip in thought. "You two, a long time ago, had your first kiss in the snow. I remember it. It was in the evening just before the sun set. The king had just thrown a big ball. Marko had been asking about you for days and then, I believe it was Paul who set you up to meet at that spot by the pond, and the snow glistened…of course your names were different then as well." He reveled for a moment in the memory before David jolted him out of it.

"Can we cut the fairy tale romance kid? It's giving me a headache, and I don't remember any past life, let alone believe in it."

"Are you gay, dude?" Paul asked innocently, looking over at Sage and then at Dwayne.

Dwayne looked lost. He sat with his legs apart, elbows resting on his knees as if he were having a serious thought or a vision from the past. Perhaps it was that he believed what Sage said a little.

"You guys crack me up," Sage continued. "Of course I'm not gay, at least, I don't think I am. Besides, it doesn't really matter now anyway. We all have our own lives or unlives. What matters is that we keep it that way. That's why we're here. You guys don't want to die again do you?"

"Of course not," Edgar answered, looking around the room. "Some of us just want to sleep."

Now that was something they all agreed on. The sun was up, and their long conversation had somewhat ended, it was time to hit the hay, or in the vampires case, the rafters of the house.

Marko kissed Serenity sweetly on the cheek before making his leave. Doubtless, he was a full-blooded killer, but he couldn't deny their obvious connection, be it past life or just chemistry.

"Wait!" she cried, catching him by the pocket of his jacket, a worried frown stamped on her forehead. "You guys…died here? How did you come back?"

He took both of her hands in his and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about that right now. When this is all over, I'll tell you anything you want to know about me. Ok?" He let her hands fall to her sides and slowly walked away. "Goodnight, Serenity."

"Hey," Sage beckoned to her after Marko had finally left the room. "I have something that will restore your powers and energy. Come with me."


	14. Kiss Me Deadly

Serenity followed Sage through the back of the house and into the sunroom, which was also curtained with the heavy shades. He smiled at her and opened the door that would lead them outside, stepping just behind it to let the light in and give Serenity a chance to see his yard. She tiptoed forward a little, peeking out to see not only a backyard, but a beautiful flower garden as well. She blinked and had to put a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun as they moved further out of the house, but still managed to peer up at it; the flaming orange ball in the deep blue sky. The warmth from it tickled her skin, and she looked at Sage in delight, forgetting the awkwardness she felt around him.

He smiled back at her and grabbed her hand, excited to be able to share his treasures with someone else like him. "Come on," he urged, until they were almost running over the stone path that lay beneath their feet.

The garden ran the length of the house surrounded by a white picket fence, overgrown with ivy and big leafy plants. Two hefty looking palm trees sat in each corner, and right in the center of it all sat a small, round white table and chairs. Sage had brought out a big pitcher of sun tea and two tall glasses, and at both place settings were two large, prepared papayas.

Serenity's mouth watered at the sight of this, thinking only of that first juicy bite. She couldn't remember the last time anything had passed into her stomach as she stretched into the sun, while her eyes finally adjusted. Oh to breathe in the sweet summer air and what a treat to be away from the dark. How any vampire could survive the night alone without feeling some sort of depression was beyond her. She pulled one of the chairs out and sat down, impatiently waiting for Sage to do the same.

"I figured you would like these," he said, pointing down at the fruit and finally taking his seat. "There's more in the house."

"Oh man, it's been too long," she answered. "I feel like I've been living off of cheap cigarettes and stale booze for a week."

"Well, you know the sun will work it's magic for you, and the fruit as well." He picked up his spoon after Serenity had picked up hers, and dug into the orange flesh, scooping out a bite and quickly delivered it to his mouth. "We need the daylight," he swallowed. "It's what keeps us going. That's why you didn't heal last night when you cut yourself on the vase. You've just been in the dark too long. But you can't let anyone know that…ever. Not even Marko."

Serenity nodded and took a bite of her own, sucking the juice out of the fruit before chewing it. Then she proceeded to pick up the pitcher in front of her and pour herself and Sage a glass of the tea. He nodded in thanks as she took a long drink and looked around again. "I take it your powers go beyond just fighting evil," she suggested, eyeing all the different types of flowers that were growing wildly around them.

Sage shrugged. "I have a thing for plants."

Serenity pursed her lips. "But your…blind." She looked at him with her eyes half open to keep the suns' glare away and startled, noticing that his eyes had changed color and now looked perfectly normal. "Wait, what is with your eyes? One minute they are completely white and now they look normal. Is it some sort of parlor trick?"

"It's the sun," he answered innocently. "They look completely ordinary in it, but I'm still pretty much blind as a bat." He looked away from her and down at the grass as though he were counting each blade. "As for the plants…I can feel them, smell them, somewhat watch them grow. One thing Max will never appreciate."

Serenity thought on this for a moment and shivered from the warmth of the sun. "Max? What does he have to do with any of this?" she asked, waving her arm through the air to clarify that she meant all of his exotic works of art. "And how do you even know anything about him?"

"I had a friend working on the inside at his lab when we were first looking for you. Unfortunately, Max found out and scanned his brain to the point where there was no brain left." He looked melancholy for a second, running circles around the top of his glass with his index finger. "Anyway…he's gone now."

"I'm sorry," Serenity answered quietly. "My mom died in the hands of a vampire. Pretty sure it was Max too. I take it your friend new a lot about plants as well?"

"Taught me all that I know." He tipped his chair back low enough to feel one of the blooming purple pansies behind him. The flowers face looked as though it were smiling. "I'm sorry we couldn't get to your mom before it was too late. But unfortunately our orders are orders. Maybe When this is all over we'll actually be able to live our lives."

Serenity scanned the field for the Black and thought about her racing career. "How is that even possible, knowing what I know now? What if I can't control these freaky powers of mine? What if I die?" She quivered uncontrollably with apprehension and frowned. "I have so many questions about myself I don't even know where to start. And then there's these vampires…vampires that I'm having feelings for."

Sage put his arms across the table as though he would take hold of Serenity's hands. "I can help you with your gifts." He looked down and chuckled quietly. "I helped you before in another life."

"You keep saying that, but you know, if the cross that I wear had actually burned Marko, I'd be dead right now."

"No, no you wouldn't, don't you see? David did kill you, and you came right back because of that incredible gift you have. It's all meant to be, and I know what you're thinking. How can you be with Marko if his power is the night and yours is the sun?"

A single tear ran down Serenity's cheek. "Is he a gift or a curse?"

"Come on think about it. Max's master plan is already backfiring. He thinks he's got his vampire boys on his side, ready and willing to bring you to him, but he's wrong. David is on our side. So be it if he's in it for himself, he's still an ally. We need him just like you need Marko."

Serenity wiped the tear away and blushed. "We hardly know each other."

"You do more than you think. Just wait, when the time is right you'll feel it." He tilted his head and gave her a half smile. "Come on, I have something else for you to try." He got out of his seat and urged her to follow him back down the stone walkway towards the back door again, only instead of opening the door, he pushed aside some of the ivy that grew just to the right of it, uncovering what looked to be an atrium. "I built it myself, course, I'm no plumber, so it took awhile to get the piping right, but when the sun hits it just right, it's a great excuse to take a shower outside."

Serenity ducked under his arm to enter the large archway completely made of glass and covered from top to bottom in larger than life exotic plants. The canopy itself was made of gigantic green elephant ears, a leafy plant only found in the tropics. It would take some crazy magic to keep these bad boys alive in this part of the region. The rest of it housed smaller flowers, including the pink and white stargazer lily, one of Serenity's favorites, and a few feet in from the entrance was a small bench that looked like it had been completely constructed out of sea shells; and above that, a matching shower head. The floor was made of stones designed to capture the suns heat to warm cold toes on a chilly day, and fresh, fluffy towels sat on a wire rack just high enough to keep from getting wet, along with several other toiletries.

Serenity was lost for words. The creepy boy that had greeted them in a matter of hours had completely transformed into something miraculous. "I think that you're amazing, Sage." She looked back at him in awe, tapping the blue-green tinted glass all around her. "This is absolutely awesome. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it."

Sage went red in the face and folded his arms. "Well you better hurry up, that's all I have to say."

"Hurry?" Serenity puzzled.

"Yeah, go on…take a shower. I know you're dying to try it out. As for me, I'm going to retire. The night will be here all too soon. I suggest you do the same, after you've refreshed yourself here."

"Oh, ya that," Serenity huffed, having forgotten for a second about the whole doom and gloom issue at hand. "Suppose I'll get right on it."

Sage gave her a pat on the shoulder and yawned. "Then I'll leave you to it," he said, making his leave.

"Wait, Sage, one more thing?" She looked at him doubtfully as if gray clouds had suddenly entered her vision. "Will they find us here?"

Sage shrugged with a little puff out of his cheeks. "Truthfully…the answer is yes, eventually. I just hope there is enough time to get you going on your powers. You will need the Lost Boys help."

"The Lost Boys?" Serenity puzzled. She had never heard that term before. Had he been referring to the vampires? She turned around to examine the shower again and squealed, bouncing around, once again momentarily forgetting her troubles, and delighted to have the place all to herself. She was half tempted to run and jump on the Black for a quick ride before her shower, but thought the better of it; she was quite tired.

She quickly undressed, throwing her clothes to a heap on the floor and turned the shower knob until warm water trickled and then flowed freely over her body. She stretched her arms up into it and let it fall over her face, opening her mouth a bit to drink it in and spit it out. The soaps let off their perfumes from the steam that was created and she wasted no time using them, rubbing each one into a rich lather all over her soiled skin. Oh yes, she thought, this was a delicious treat indeed.

She never did make it back into the house after her shower. Instead, she found an old hammock just outside of Sage's garden and rolled herself into it, falling fast asleep in just her towel, which was a little risqué, since she could easily roll out of it and expose herself to the world, but honestly, life was too short to worry about such things, especially at a time like this…especially if the sun went down and Marko was the first to find her.

At dusk she awoke and snuck back into the house.

He watched her tiptoe up the stairs, holding the towel around her with one hand, her hair a wild, wispy mess, and her skin still aglow from the day's sun. She smelled of hemp oil and coconut butter and he instinctively licked his lips as though he were stalking her like one of his prey, before putting a hand up to cover his satisfied smile, knowing that he had her all to himself at that moment. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs after her, taking care to not make a sound. He hoped that she would not hear his thoughts or sense his presence before he wanted her to.

Serenity slowly opened the bedroom door. It made a small squeaking noise and she cursed it under her breath, praying no one would wake from it. She wasn't ready to face the mortal and immortal chaos of the night just yet, and left the unruly door open, taking a seat on the bed. She watched the candles on the nightstand burn, still tranquilized by the sun and completely oblivious to the presence lingering just outside her doorway.

He waited a few more moments, following the contours of her body hungrily with his eyes before stepping in and shutting the door successfully without a sound. Her lack of awareness amused him. She was almost like a fledgling vampire after their first kill, completely caught in the adrenaline rush and drunken from the ecstasy of blood, only her elation came from the sun.

Another sly grin crossed his face as he moved forward, finally letting his presence be known and slipped a gloved hand onto Serenity's shoulder. He felt her quiver from the touch and without looking back at him, sighed pleasantly, lost in a daydream. When she finally realized someone was actually there, she startled and jumped to her feet accidentally dropping the towel to the floor.

"You scared me." She sounded surprised and a bit angry with herself for letting her guard down.

Marko took a step back but stood unfazed as he watched her reaction with provocative, sleepy eyes. She stood frozen for a moment, self conscious of herself naked before him, but watched as he took it all in with a lustful grin. It caused her to swallow hard before finally taking a breath as her lips awkwardly parted like she might speak again.

He moved towards her and she shivered excitedly, her nipples instantly perky, her heart beating so heavily she thought it might explode when he touched her. He gently placed his hands just above her hips and moved them lightly up over her stomach, just barely caressing her breasts and then up to cradle her cheeks.

"Where were we?" he asked, sending the thought of their last and first kiss from the barn into her mind, before touching his lips to hers.

She closed her eyes, soft and cool his lips felt to her and so delicious she thought she would cry. She couldn't resist leaning into him, putting her own hands on his shoulders at first, and then sliding them up around his neck. He pressed their lip lock further, pushing his tongue into her mouth to explore it and she circled it with her own, half smiling with a delighted sigh against his open mouth before forcing herself to push away. "Are you," she paused and caught her breath. "Is this just because of what Sage said?" she asked, knowing full well the meaning of his actions went far beyond that.

He pushed his forehead down against hers, hypnotizing her with his calculating gaze. "What do you think?" he asked, slowly moving his hands back down her sides to firmly grab her ass and pull her against him, intoxicated by the warmth of her flesh. She let out a hearty sigh when he did this and he kissed her even deeper, almost forcefully.

"I had…to be sure," she answered hoarsely into his mouth, running the tips of her fingers along his jaw line as she pressed her breasts into the soft patches of his jacket and her hips against his chaps and jeans to tease and heighten his arousal.

"I know what you feel," he whispered. His lips regrettably left her mouth as he traced along her throat and down to the ever so sensitive spot on her neck where both he and David had drank. After this night she would be all his with no mark left of David, he had decided, with his sires permission of course, and by Sage's word, she rightfully belonged to him. Her breath came heavy as he wandered, moving his hands up to the small of her back for support as his lips left their mark and trailed a long line of heated, open-mouthed kisses all the way to the center of her breasts, the two pink nipples on either side aching to be teased as they stood erect.

She let herself succumb to his passions in his arms as he sucked her, taking turns teasing each mound with his tongue. An electric chill slid through her stomach and between her legs; she wanted him in her now. She steadied herself and grabbed at his chaps to release the buttons there.

Marko sat her back on the bed while he stepped out of his boots and chaps and then kneeled between her legs as she bent forward to kiss his forehead, nuzzling into the wild soft curls to inhale his scent. It was different, animalistic and spicy and it drove her needs higher as she bent forward further reaching in to nibble his ear. He took her hands and placed them on the front of his jeans again, her fingers working like magic to release his fly and let his erection come to its full extent. She greedily worked her fingers around it, stroking the shaft and teasing the tip with her thumbs. His body shook and he growled in her ear, moving his arms around her to rid his hands of his gloves.

When the task was finished, she mischievously pushed him back and slid her arms through his jacket, playfully pushing his limbs out to the side with a soft purr and slipped it off, tossing it behind them on the bed. She smiled at him wickedly, grazing his lips with her tongue before tearing his shirt off. His eyes beamed down at her, on the verge of amber, and she growled back at him lustily.

He gave her a wry smile and vehemently pushed her back so that she lay sprawled on the bed as he crawled up and over her like a beast in the dominant position, taking hold of her breasts firmly, teasing the outline of her nipples with his fingers before exploring the rest of her by simple touch. Serenity moaned and reached for him, but he growled and refused the idea. Instead he took her hands and placed them over her head, holding them tight while he played, carefully sliding his other hand down to her inner thighs, just barely massaging the delicate moisture between her legs with his fingers.

"It's been too long," he whispered, seductively kissing her body in various places, following her eyes with his, and forcing her to look at him. She squirmed and bucked as he slid a few probing digits further into her heated core.

"Oh, please," she begged, rolling her hips as if recalling their passion from centuries before. "Take me like you used to." The memories flooded back as she pressed herself into the mattress, completely flushed and at his mercy as he continued to massage the damp petals of her most intimate parts.

"I remember," he spoke tenderly, moving down to ghost her stomach with his lips, inching down to that small space just between her thighs all the while keeping eye contact. Her moans escalated up a notch as she opened up to him, and he acknowledged the invitation by letting her arms free and moved to lift her left leg, urging her to the edge of the bed. There he was able to wrap it around his waist, while inching forward to press the tip of his unit teasingly against her inner thigh. He followed her gaze with a crafty smile while he did this loving the fact that he was in control, and she let out another small needing sound as her whole body shook, fighting to take control of her passion.

"Marko…I need you know," she pushed the words out, barely audible, seeking the touch of his body against hers as he slid himself into her. She couldn't keep a loud groan from escaping her mouth. His thickness was pleasure and pain all at the same time.

Marko sank his hands into the mattress to cradle her rear, moving against her with slow heated thrusts so as not to tear her up from the inside. It was almost difficult as the scent of virginal blood caused the animal inside him to want her hard and fast. She was so tight to him and so warm. He pushed deeper into her, and she held her breath, her body rigid, but the sound of pleasure followed and erupted from her throat as her core adjusted to fit his length and the pain lessoned. She rolled her hips against his groin, bucking and urging him on as he pushed even further, fighting back the impulse to come before her, only to pull half way out and then slowly slide himself back in. The fluid motion caused little knocking sounds to be heard against the wall from the headboard of the bed.

Serenity shook involuntarily as the fire in her belly grew to an overwhelming sensation that sent spasms of orgasm straight through her. "Oh. God. Marko," she moaned.

His breathing was labored as well as he rocked with her, pressing in to find that sweet nook of her neck again while savoring the feel of her clamped down around his manhood. He couldn't suppress the change any longer as he gave her one more violent thrust before releasing his need. She vocally let her delight slip through her lips, pressing her legs tightly around his waist as he pumped into her. It seemed as though his cum would last forever and she couldn't help but lick her lips erotically as she swayed with him.

He let his fangs descend, moving with her as her heart slowed, gently kissing along the pulsing artery in her neck before biting down deep. She gasped; unsure, and let her legs slowly slip back to the bed. He let go of her hips, his member still deep inside her despite her movement and snaked his arms higher, moving them up behind her back to lock his grip and keep her from moving away. He stroked her soft blond curls as he drank, pushing soothing mental thoughts into her head. _I want you still; mine for all eternity._

She let out a soft sigh, still high from her orgasm and stopped fighting. Take me, she thought, I want to be yours.

Her blood was divine he remembered, like none he had ever tasted and he wanted it all, every last drop. No wonder David had drained her dry, but this time it was his, all his and not just a taste. It glided down his throat like a heavy syrup of sweet nectar. He thrust his hips against her, feeling her heart race again from the pleasure of his bite, but it wouldn't last long, and despite her pleading to be against him indefinitely, he slowly pulled out. She was giving him all she could give, urging her heart to pump more vigorously until her body fell limp in his arms.

He growled and forced himself to pull away, letting the remainder of her blood casually drip down his chin. Her eyes were dull, misted, and half closed, but carefully, and oh so gently, he situated her better on the bed, folding her hands over her chest and sat up beside her to await her wake, almost fearful she wouldn't.

After what seemed like forever she gasped, taking in a full breath and the light returned to her eyes and she looked up at him. He smiled down at her and habitually bit his nails as if suddenly the animal side of him had left a coy boy toy in her presence. She smiled and stretched out like she could still feel the pleasure of him inside her and sat up to kiss his mouth. The metallic taste of her own blood was enough to send her senses through the roof again as she ran her hands down his perfectly chiseled chest and abs. The cherubs in Caravaggio's paintings had nothing on this vampire.

She studied him, watching her with the deep blue-green of his eyes and her heart raced again. He knew her little secret, even before they had started and he smiled back at her wickedly. "Why be ashamed?" he asked. "You never once came across as virginal to me."

She shrugged, dropping her eyes to the bed, only to look up at him sideways, half embarrassed she had admitted it in her mind. "Because, can't you feel it? The bond we have, the animalistic sense we have for each other? The memories go back ages. You're territory I've traveled before." She blushed and gave him a cunning smile. She felt of the tender spot on her neck.

"I've felt it since the moment I saw you in that restaurant, like a calling." He pushed her fingers away from the spot where he had marked her and put his own hand over it. "I couldn't stand the thought of David getting to you first."

"Wouldn't matter. He's never been in my heart, vampire mark or not."

"Yeah, but we're not human anymore, and we're not in the past. There are some things you'll have to learn about us that you may not like," he told her, arching his eyebrows.

She reached up and kissed him, her lips lingering over his and when she opened her eyes to see his, they were glowing amber. She quivered, but didn't back away. "I'm not afraid of you," she whispered.

"Wouldn't matter if you were," he said rather directly, showing a hint of his feral side through his voice. "You're mine now."


	15. The Night After

The night had been a peaceful welcome for the Black after a day in the hot sun when even under the shade of the trees his black coat glistened with sweat. Now, he grazed quietly farther back in the field, keeping to the shadows of the moon so that no form of man would detect him there. He stood with one ear back to guard his haunches and the other pricked forward towards the old house, alert and ready to move if needed as he took in bite after bite of the sweet long grass. The air had become stagnant and magnetic, like the calm before a storm and even though the moon still held itself high within the stars, a slight breeze made its way over the tops of the trees, bringing with it a few lingering clouds.

A few feet away, the gravel road crackled with movement and the stallion quickly lifted his head with a snort. He flared his nostrils, and took in a foreign sulfurous scent that made its way in with a pack of not so human intruders. They treaded slowly towards the entrance with their heads down, making a humming, almost buzzing sound. He pricked both ears forward towards the road and his wild eyes scanned the area, almost like a wolf hunting its prey. He had never seen these types of dark figures that approached before, clad in black capes with glowing eyes and haunting features. Yet, the scene instinctively seemed a bit off to him as they followed behind a white car that looked perfectly normal from what he knew of humans, but they were headed towards the house, his house, and he twisted his head again in fury as if it were his duty to guard it while the mortals and immortals inside rested. He let out a shrill whistle of a whinny to sound the alarm and jumped to the side, tossing his head before prancing over closer towards the fence that ran up along the road. The tall trees still hid him perfectly in the dark, but the instinct of fight rather than flight was quickly taking over.

He twirled around and jumped off of all four feet before throwing his hindquarters out in a buck that sent grass and clumps of dirt flying towards the uninvited visitors. With another snort, he galloped up the field towards the house and skid with his back legs to a halt when he had reached the front of it. It seemed that no one stirred in the house even with his warning and he shook his head and pawed the ground in frustration as the evil trespassers crept closer. If they had seen him, they paid him no mind. The stallion bent his head down to smell the earth and then raised it high again, watching for a second as the clouds set in. It seemed that they followed the dark strangers. He shook his head furiously and rose high on his haunches, striking the air with his forelegs towards one of the upper windows of the old cabin.

The soft sound of a foreign tongue crept into his ears and he knew it was the dark haired vampire they called Dwayne. He whistled to the horse before telling him to leave the surroundings and head back towards the woods, and although the Black was reluctant to leave Serenity, he obeyed. He twirled around once again with a quick hop and set off for the woods at the end of the property.

He watched the trees wearily as they twisted and snapped in the brief winds that brought in the dark heavy clouds, all the while still making his way further back along the fence line towards the thicket of the forest. A gray wolf seemed to appear out of nowhere and ran with him along the other side of the fence. He looked as though he were seeking the horse out in search of guidance, but before they reached the heavy brush in the underside of the trees, the animal stopped and looked to the moon before it completely vanished under the stormy haze. He let out a howl that echoed across the land and seemingly sparked the first strike of lightening. The Black stopped as well and whistled back at the animal, tossing his mane. There was something out of the ordinary about that wolf.

Meanwhile, just inside the house, Edgar rolled over in bed and slammed his fist into his pillow, groggily mumbling incoherent, sinister words to his partner in crime who lay in a deep sleep right beside him. It was bad enough he had to share a bed with the cover thief, let alone sleep during the day, but now he had to listen to him moan as he dreamt.

"Alan, shut the hell up!" he roared, reaching over to pull at the blankets one more time before curling into the fetal position facing the opposite direction.

A few seconds passed and again came the moans and what sounded like a slight tapping or knocking sound. Edgar rolled his eyes, trying to look towards the ceiling without moving his head. Alan didn't appear to be restless, so where was the noise coming from? "Alan," he grumbled again, elbowing him in the ribcage. "You're creeping me out man."

A few more minutes passed and the moaning escalated, but this time it sounded more like a girl and Edgar decided he'd had enough. He sat up and poked Alan, more brutally this time in the ribs, which startled the sleeping vampire hunter awake so much so, that he banged his head into the headboard before sitting up to see what was so urgent. "Oww!" he groaned, holding his head with one hand. "What the hell did you do that for? I was having the greatest dream."

Edgar looked down at the puddle of drool on Alan's pillow with slight disgust. "This is why we don't sleep together."

Alan sneered and put his other hand up over his head. "I wouldn't sleep with you like this again if someone paid me. Remember it was my idea to beg mom and dad for those bunk beds we had as kids."

The thumping noise and the moans spiraled and both of the Frogs turned to look at the door in utter surprise. Alan quickly realized what it was and twitched. "Holy shit," he croaked. "Is that Serenity? I told you we should have killed that bloodsucker when we had the chance. Now he's tainted her even more. She's going to be all marked up with raunchy vampire blood and sweat…"

"Christ, Alan, shut up and let me think for a minute!" Edgar barked, sitting on the edge of the bed, pushing the mattress down as hard as he could with the palms of his hands. He looked around in the dark, frustrated and on the verge of puking with the thought of Serenity in the next room having vampire sex. "Where the hell did I put the weapons?"

Alan bounced off the bed, grabbing his beret from the corner post and pulled it down hard over his head before ripping the shades off the window. "No reason we have to be punished just because the night crawlers can't stomach the daylight," he said. It didn't matter anyway, the sun had just dipped below the horizon, but the evening glow from the moon made it much easier for them to find their way around the foreign room. "She'll still be able to save the world, right?" he asked with a doubt.

Edgar turned to answer, but before the words escaped his mouth a rumbling buzzing sound came from outside. "Shit, they've found us," Edgar freaked, finally locating his bag of goodies. "Quick, we've got to get Serenity out of here!"

While the Frogs panicked, David awoke and easily hopped down from his place in the wooden rafters of the house completely oblivious to the so-called hunters findings. Max had been prodding his mind already, summoning him to the hell house that he called the New Life Corp. He knew he couldn't ignore him for much longer, but what bothered him more was that one of his own was upstairs banging the object of Max's affairs. Sure David had given Marko the ok, but Max had warned him that none of them were to touch the girl in any way, and now there would be hell to pay. All because Sage had opened his big mouth and blurted out the meanings of life, which meant Marko would quickly be out of the picture if he didn't keep his game face on.

Although, David wondered what Serenity would mean to Max now that she had been deflowered. "Dam fairy tales," he muttered to himself as he made his way through the darkened house. A good hunting party and a fresh kill was what he wanted, and to make matters worse, he was down to one cigarette. Perhaps he would get lucky and this Sage character would happen to have a liquor cabinet containing a bottle of Jack Daniels hidden somewhere in the kitchen.

He sneered and blew air through his lips as he tried to scan Sage's mind. No liquor on that boy's brain, just thoughts of the sun. That boy craved it just as much or more than David craved the night. Still, he decided to rummage through the kitchen cabinets, just in case.

Paul was the next to wake and lingered in front of the staircase, staring up at the locked door, trying to get a vision from the thumping noises he heard against it. Of course he could always read his friends mind and see Serenity through Marko's eyes, but that would be an invasion of privacy, and if anyone deserved a taste of hot ass it was Marko, just as long as he shared the juicy details with him later.

He licked his lips and shook his head, sighing one last time to think on what it would be like to feel a warm mortal in his arms again. Maybe he would get lucky and Marko would share the goods. He cackled to himself at that thought and moved into the kitchen where David was relentlessly opening and then slamming each cupboard door. "Looking for something in particular?" he beamed, eyeing the stash of weed on the counter he had almost forgotten about. "We got the goods right here," he added, patting the dried herb with care.

"I'm not in the mood," David said more frigidly than normal. "Although something hard to drink would be nice in this God forsaken shit hole."

Paul merrily hopped up on the counter to have a seat and started to roll a joint. "Aww, you're not bitter about giving the ok to Marko's little escapade upstairs are you?" He knew it was more than that, but saying it out loud to David would only make the beast inside him more agitated, and Paul had learned long ago not to poke the bear.

David turned around with a cynical smile and pressed the palms of his hands back against the counter. "Max will have his head on a stake, unless I can do something about it," he hissed. "So don't go taking this lightly."

"You mean you haven't answered Max's call yet, right?" Dwayne asked, as he walked into the room light footed and took a position next to Paul, folding his arms. "He sent me an alert. He wants you to meet him at his office or he's threatening to come here. Wouldn't it be a waste of all our efforts if he finds us here?"

"It would indeed," came a cheerful voice from the dining room table, as all three vampires looked to find Sage perched on top of it, resting his head on his knees. "So, I'd suggest you go meet your maker."

"What's that supposed to be, a quirky pun?" David asked, looking down at the boy with a sinister expression.

Sage unfolded himself and jumped off the table. "Not at all," he answered with a small confident smile. "But if you want to win this war, you'll have to keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Ah, good motto little bud," Paul said, reaching out to give Sage a high five, but the boy only looked at him thoughtfully and tucked his hands into his back pockets.

"How much longer do you suppose they'll be?" Dwayne asked, looking at the ceiling above him.

Paul hooted, amused. "One thing is for sure, our man Marko is no minute man."

David shook his head with his eyes closed and put a hand up as though he suddenly had a headache, but scrunched his face tightly as though he had just drank from the blood bottle as well. "Paul," he said hoarsely, staring uneasily at the ground. "Keep your thoughts to yourself. We have another, bigger problem here."

Dwayne suddenly dropped his arms and looked cautiously around the room, sniffing the air. "Yes we do," he growled. "So much for giving us time to consider our options."

"Son of a bitch!" Paul grumbled and leapt off the counter, quickly stashing the rest of his loot into his coat pockets while smothering out the remainder of his joint in the sink. "What a waste of good shit."

"I don't suppose you have anything up your sleeve for this little issue?" David asked of Sage with clenched lips.

Sage laughed faintly, his white eyes wide. "I wasn't expecting this," he answered solemnly. "My bad. We can use the escape route out the back window in one of the bedrooms upstairs. I'd say at this point that's our best bet."

David didn't flinch, nor did he take his eyes off of Sage as his mouth twisted in contempt. "Dwayne, I want you to follow our Demigod here upstairs, collect Marko and Serenity and get them the hell out of here. I'll be right behind you sooner or later."

Dwayne nodded and took off up the stairs after Sage while David sent a mental call to Marko.

_Get Serenity out of here! If you can, take her back to the cave._

The message was meant for Marko alone, but it might as well have been said out loud in Serenity's presence. She looked cautiously around the room, listening to the footsteps that moved hurriedly up the stairs. Slowly, she slid across the bed to find a shirt without letting her eyes hit the floor. The power of the sun was now kicking in and all of her senses were on fire. She gulped hard when Marko suddenly turned to her and grabbed her by the arms. Max now threatened the peace they had all found in this quiet little abode, and maybe it was still the adrenaline pumping through her from the heated passion her and Marko had finally found, but fear was the furthest thing from her mind.

Marko gave her a candid glance as he reached for his jeans, pulling them on in a quick second, along with his shirt, and the rest of his attire. He moved too fast for even her skilled eyes to see in detail, and she shook her head as though she had been trying to watch the blades of a ceiling fan move around in swift circles. Her jeans were on the other side of the room, and as threatening as the present situation was, for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of him to move.

Marko knew her thoughts, her feelings. He had taken her before the swoon of the sun had left her body and now she was caught in the haze, a sexual high. He picked her pants up and moved to aid her, pulling her gently off the bed into another embrace for a quick yet fervent lip lock, pushing his mind through hers to sort out the disorientation. "Come on," he whispered, using the mind gift to lull her senses; he didn't like the thought of using forceful persuasion on her thoughts, but at this point he found it necessary. "We just have to hurry, ok?" Serenity nodded sleepily and slipped into her jeans.

He took her hand and led her quickly towards the door, placing an ear to it when the footsteps grew louder. It seemed that another eerie, familiar noise, was also making itself known, one that leaked through the fragile glass of the windowpane and tapped at their ears.

Serenity stopped and pulled her hand back. "What is that?" she asked, turning around much like a zombie under his spell with a blank look on her face.

Marko remembered the sound that had come just outside the front door before Carla had sent it crashing down. It was a screeching buzz very similar to the one they now heard. "It can't be," he said out loud, thinking of the trouble Max might have brought with him. He put a forefinger to his temple, straining to see what David might know, but he had shut him out, and Serenity had made for the window. "Hey wait," he continued, trying to stop her from opening the blinds, but it was too late.

Serenity's heart found a new residence in her stomach when she saw what was waiting for them just outside, any calming notion Marko had put into her brain was gone now as her lower jaw hit the floor. "Fuck me twice!" she gasped.

Marko grabbed her hand and pulled her hastily back towards the door again. "Come on, time to go," he said, brushing aside her bit of humor as his brutal side took over and his eyes took on their familiar amber glow.

He took one swift glance in each direction down the hall before sending David a mental warning of his own.

_We've got big trouble in little China, watch your back._

A few feet away, Edgar and Alan flung their bedroom door open, both fighting to get through it first like a pair of panicked ostriches, stretching their necks out further than their bodies would allow. "Dam it, Alan, it's the end of the world, get out of my way!" Edgar shouted, tossing his bag into the hallway.

"What the hell man? We're in this together remember? Awesome monster bashers?" Alan retorted, finally getting an arm through.

They both heaved at the same time and crashed through the old frame, landing face first down in the middle of the walkway, only to fumble back up and rush frantically towards the stairs.

"Wait," Alan skidded to a halt and straightened his posture, taking a breath as though he had suddenly found some sense. "What are we doing? We can't go without Serenity. What the hell good are we if we can't even save the heroine of the story?"

Edgar stopped and straightened too, twisting his face in thought. "Shit your right, good thinking, man," he said, quickly skipping backwards to place a hand on his warrior friend's shoulder and urge him down the hall towards Serenity's bedroom.

"SERENITY!" They both screeched, running wildly for her open door with their stakes held high as if they were about to plunge face first into wolves' den and rescue the poor, helpless girl.

Marko met them first, grabbing each one by their offending arms and averting the stakes downward and out of their grasps. "Can we get a little quiet here?" he snarled, causing both of them to scream even louder when they saw his true face.

"Be gone you demon!" Alan hissed, tilting his head to see Serenity standing behind him. "Should I run him through?" he asked innocently, raising his brows.

"For the love of all things Holy, Alan, put that thing away," Serenity raged, pushing past Marko. "I swear you two are going to be the death of me, infinitely! Now, stop this bullshit and be smart, Alan! Like you were when you got me out of that dam lab."

Alan huffed and stepped back, pursing his lips in thought, as Edgar swayed from one foot to the other frowning. "Ok, I can see you have a point, but we have to find a way out of here, and fast," he nodded, stating the obvious.

"Well it won't be through the front door if that's what you're thinking," Dwayne interrupted, strolling easily down the hall towards them, behind a very eager Sage.

Marko put his game face away and stood with one leg cocked and his thumbs pressed down into the front of his chaps so that he still looked somewhat threatening, just in case one of the tadpoles at his side decided to do something stupid. "Back of the house looks to be the only decent way, Max brought friends."

"Of course he would," Dwayne muttered, recalling the night before when he had been tossed through the air by Carla like a wet noodle. He blew air out of his lips in frustration and turned his head to the wall as if in deep thought.

Sage unfolded his arms. "I believe our escape is calling…"

"Well let's go then, what are we waiting for?" Edgar asked, pushing Alan towards the end of the hallway.

There was a knock at the front door and for one reason or another they all paused.

David heard it too and growled, finally pulling his last cigarette from his pocket. He borrowed a light from Paul and lit it carefully, taking a long drag and letting the smoke float freely out of his mouth. He looked up at his friend with his eyebrows raised thoughtfully and let out a sigh. "Take the back way up stairs if you can and get out with the others," he told him simply. Calmly. "I'll either meet you at the edge of the woods or back at the cave."

Paul looked at him with uncertainty. "What about you man? We leave no brother behind. Remember?"

There was a loud crash, which they both knew was the door falling down once again, and David took another long puff of his smoke. He put his hands on Paul's shoulders, letting the cigarette dangle from his lips. "I'm telling you to go, now! I'll handle Max and follow you when I can. Now go." Paul hesitated before nodding and silently skipped out of the room.

Max stood in the doorway, looking oddly down at the door that had fallen over as soon as he had opened it. "Hmm," he pondered out loud, looking around while he wiped his glasses free of floating debris. "Oh David…come out, come out wherever you are," he called, whispering, 'foolish boy', under his breath.

David rounded the corner with the butt of his cigarette still hanging loosely from his mouth, his hands in his coat pockets. He regarded Max with an expression that said, 'Yes I'm here, what the hell do you want?' but he contained himself.

Max raised his eyebrows thoughtfully when he saw David. "Ah, there you are," he said, looking him over. David had put up a mental block almost immediately, and Max was in no mood for a fight of wills. He took a breath, mostly for state of mind before getting right down to the dirt. "Now…where's are girl?"

David took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke right into Max's face before putting it out on the floor. "Now, why would I bring her here?" he asked, smirking at the dismayed look Max was giving him as he waved the smoke away.

Max clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "Come on now David, I'm really not in the mood for your games." He looked around at the place in shambles. "I know she's here or else, why in hells name would you bother to be here? Is the cave not good enough for the four of you now?" He glanced at his unruly fledgling with his head still in the air. "Besides, I can smell her," he growled, pointing to the top of the stairs. "Right up there."

Serenity saw him glance up in her direction and jumped back in fear that he had actually seen her, and Marko came to her side, easily pulling her out of view. Now was not the time to play brave little warrior and besides, Sage had managed to get the back window open by prying the nails out with his cross.

David looked hesitantly up the stairs, knowing that the group had remained and bit his bottom lip to keep from growling. He wondered what the hell was taking them so long to leave the hell-ridden house. "She was here, but we had an encounter with some sort of banshee last night and I had the other boys take her back to the cave," he told Max, trying to keep his upper lip from curling into a snarl. "Why are you here? It's not time for the ritual…"

"David, David, David," Max huffed. He straightened his glasses and approached him, dropping his fangs as his eyes bled over. David rarely saw this, but had no time to react before Max backhanded him hard across the jaw and sent him backwards into the railing. He stood bearing his fangs down upon him and pointed one gnarly talon back up the stairs. "I know she's here! Her scent is like a perfume that never leaves the memory. And yet, it's been masked by something hasn't it, hmmm? So tell me, which one of my boys has been toying with my charm? I told you, no one was to lay a hand on her," he hissed.

David kneeled, now in fang himself from anger alone and ran his tongue across their sharp points to taste the blood from his lip and looked up at Max threateningly. "You can't have her now," he chuckled lightly and braced himself for another blow. "She belongs to me."

"Oh I will have her, David." Max smiled wickedly. "I haven't changed my mind about that. No amount of territorial marks can save her from my plan."

David pushed the palms of his hands into his thigh muscles and laughed again, looking Max straight in the eye wickedly. "Who said anything about marks?" he asked. "I fucked her good. She's not your pretty little princess virgin anymore."

With that said, Max lost what control he had left and picked David up by the collar of his overcoat, sending him flying across the room so that he landed in much the same spot as the banshee had thrown him in. "Well then, I'll just have to see for myself," he said, straightening his own jacket before heading up the stairs, making sure his feet made no sound.

Dwayne sensed Max was on the move and herded the Frogs quickly into the back bedroom.

Sage scurried to Serenity's side. "Where's your cross?" he asked of her quickly, taking one of her wrists as Marko held the other.

Marko's eyes were beginning to change again in defense to what was his, as he smelled Max's approach. "Forget that, let's go!" he growled, pulling both of them towards the exit. Max was pushing through his mind, sending mental commands as orders.

_Boys stop!_

Marko heard the demand loud and clear, as did Dwayne, and it seemed like every muscle in their bodies suddenly cramped as their already sluggish blood stopped moving to obey. Each step became an agonizing one, even as they fought with their minds to push their bodies forward, until they were no longer able to move at all.

Serenity kept going, not realizing that Marko was now cemented to the floor, still holding her. His stiffened hand pulled her back like a sling shot, sending her straight into Sage. The two collided and landed on top of each other behind him.

Serenity frowned and scrambled to her feet. "What's wrong?" she asked, folding her fingers around the fabric of his sleeves.

Marko slowly turned his head to her, the usual color of his eyes now only half streaked with red and strained. "I have to stay," he whispered, one tear running down his cheek, which she quickly wiped away. "It's Max. Don't be scared, just go."

Sudden shock and concern swept across her face. "What? No! I'm not leaving you here."

Edgar freaked and came out of the back bedroom. "There is something wrong with the vampire in there, man!" he screeched, holding his hands out in front of him like curled claws. "He's frozen!"

Serenity glared. "Then get back in there and help him!" she yelled, frantic and furious at the same time, looking to Sage for help. "Isn't there some sort of spell or ritual or something we can use?"

Sage got up and shook his head, urgently pulling her away from Marko. "Not without your cross, now come on, we have to go. They'll be safer without us here."

Serenity's frustration escalated and her eyes took on an orange glow neither Marko nor Sage had seen before. She roared and tugged her arm back before heaving Sage into the wall of the hallway. "I'm not leaving them here!"

It was too late to consider their options now. Max had made it up the stairs and stood behind them with an amused expression on his face as he watched the scene play out before him. The power he felt come from the girl excited him all the more, and he wondered if using the ritual was necessary. Instead, perhaps he could just drain her, taste that sweet blood, turn her, and then kill her. He let out a menacing chuckle even as Serenity held her hand out towards him in a stopping motion and let out a low growl, exerting as much force as she could to hopefully send him into the wall like she had done to Sage.

"Well, hello again, Serenity," Max said, waving one hand through the air as if to break her concentration. She felt the jolt. It rattled her brain and caused her to lean against Marko while taking in deep breaths. "I'm afraid this is a battle you can't win. You see, I have more experience than you when it comes to the mind."

Sage straightened himself quickly, pushing off the wall and took his cross in one hand pointing the reflective side towards Max as he grabbed for Serenity, seeing that she was about had. "Come on, we can do this together," he encouraged, leading her closer to the head vampire. "But I need that fury I just saw in you to come back." He sent her a rush of his own energy and she clutched at his arm. "You ready?" he asked. Serenity only nodded.

Max laughed at the two in contempt and held out both of his clawed hands as if he would snatch them up. He roared in anger at the sight of the cross. "Give it to me, boy!"

"You want it?" Sage asked, holding it up in the air before slamming it down. "Have it!" As if he had just pounded a heavy rod down against the floor, the walls shook around Max and the ground beneath him cracked before it rolled back, folding itself into piles, and peeling the paint back on the walls. The molding on the doors and the thin strips of wood also tore away and were sent flying towards him, knocking him back down the stairs.

Marko lurched forward and shook, able to move again. He grabbed Serenity and Sage by the fabric of their t-shirts and pulled them along, only half glancing in awe at what had just happened. They joined Dwayne and the Frogs at the window and one by one climbed out of the house. Paul stood at the bottom of the ladder, pacing nervously back and fourth waiting for them. He had just caught an eyeful of what was waiting ahead in the fields and on the road leading out. "This is not good," he moaned, placing a hand on Dwayne's shoulder as he stepped off the ladder.

Dwayne growled, looking around at all the banshees now gathered together, dark eyes glowing through their black hoods. "Life's a bitch, and then you die…again," he said quietly.

"Oh Yeah? Ya' gonna put that on a t-shirt for me," Paul asked sarcastically, keeping a serious tone as they both moved to help the others down. "Those assholes can fly too. How the hell are we going to get around them?"

Dwayne estimated that there were at least forty to fifty of them, and their first encounter with one had not gone over so good. "Is there anything in that little bag of tricks of yours that can get us out of this one?" he asked, looking at Sage.

Sage jumped off the ladder and held his cross up in warning to the group that stood about fifty feet away, as Marko helped Serenity off the ladder and stood in front of her protectively with his arms folded. "I don't know about this one guys." Sage answered thoughtfully. "I've never taken on this many. Serenity will have to use her powers."

"Dam kid, do you ever freak out?" Paul asked, nervously putting his hands on his hips.

Sage laughed at him over his shoulder. "What good would that do me?"

"This is a total nightmare," Alan complained, shaking his head. "We're completely surrounded." He reached back into his backpack and pulled out crossbow. "But that doesn't mean I'm going down without a fight."

Serenity bravely stepped out from behind Marko and the humming noise coming from the banshees got louder. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

Sage looked back at the Frogs. "How much Holy water you guys carrying?"

"We've got four squirt guns," Edgar answered, pulling them from his own backpack.

Sage gestured to Paul, Dwayne and Marko. "Good, give them one." The three vampires looked at each other in disbelief.

"This is odd," Dwayne commented, taking one of the guns, eyeing it carefully. "This shit burns you know."

"Well, what we really need is some rock salt, but Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum here don't know their demons from a hole in the wall." Sage said with a devious smile pointed towards the Frogs. "Besides, as long as Serenity is here, it won't burn you, so you better pray to God they don't take her before we reach the woods."

"Pfff, God," Paul hissed, pressing the point of the gun into his hand to see if the Holy water would do anything.

"Better start believing buck-o. It's the only thing that's going to get us out of here alive." Sage motioned for Serenity.

"She stays with me," Marko stated, roughly pulling her back against him.

"Sorry my friend, not this time. I need her up in the front with me if we're going to generate enough power to blow through these bad boys." Sage held his hand out to Serenity and she took it, biting her lower lip as she looked back longingly at Marko. "You and Paul can flank us. Dwayne, you're the best at the rear, and the two frogs can stay towards the center."

"Wait a minute, how the hell does he know all this?" Paul asked Dwayne as he took his position on the side.

Dwayne shrugged and fell in behind the group and they slowly crept closer to the swarming banshees. "When you guys see the light," Sage advised as he started into a jog, "Run like hell." He held his cross high and looked at Serenity. "You ready?"

Serenity nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be" she said, smiling, the orange glow faintly returning to her eyes.


	16. Black Out

David sat up in the rubble and brushed himself off. His senses were jumbled a bit due to the oncoming weather and the never-ending hum coming from the banshees outside. The smell of sulfur was enough to make him gag, and the air was so magnetic, he half expected a few metal objects that lay in various spots around the house to take flight. There was a loud rumbling above his head which he knew had to be the work of Sage and Serenity, and a second later the house shook as what little paint remained peeled and was sent flying. A second later, Max came crashing down, taking the staircase with him. David's lips curled up into a satisfied smile. "How do you like them apples?" he hissed.

He quickly got to his feet, and kicked a few wooden splinters across the floor with the toe of his boot before resting his heal on the tip of his spur, and his hands found their way to his hips. The door was a mere few feet away and he knew he would only have a second to get through it before Max would stir and begin to dig himself free. Thunder crashed down shaking the house and lightening followed, setting the inside of the rustic cabin aglow, and although it seemed to follow the dull drone of the creatures outside, David suddenly sensed another presence there, possibly the one causing the storm.

He looked at the wooden heap that was once the stairs and smirked, letting out a low growl that ended in a half laugh. "You can't win this one Max," he snarled, raising his eyebrows so that his ice blue eyes matched the glimmer of the lightening. He took in a deep breath and let his feet hover just above ground for a second before using his preternatural speed to make for the door. The lightening flashed again in the entryway and David turned his head back to shield his eyes from its light. As if in slow motion, Max appeared behind him, and despite his attempt to duck, Max's thick claws reached out and dug into his right shoulder. David roared and brought his own hand down across the left side of Max's face in defense, leaving four deep gashes across his cheek. Max let out a feral growl and slammed his other hand down on David, pulling him back into the house.

He laughed contemptuously down at his fledgling before pulling himself together, without even a touch of a fingertip to the side of his face in concern. He carried himself over to David as though it were merely a kitten's scratch. "Honestly David, you don't think I'll win? I told you…you could either join me, or die." He crossed his arms and put a hand to his lips, making a clucking, disappointed sound. "It's such a shame to see which side you've chosen…such a shame. Well anyway, I think I'll wait a bit, and let you think on it for a while. Maybe then my point will finally dig into that thick head of yours. Now get up! We're going for a ride." He carelessly reached down and picked David up by the collar of his coat.

"Go to hell!" David retorted, pulling away from him. "You think you're a fucking God? There may have been a time when I respected you, but now you don't mean shit!"

"Come along now, David," Max responded, heading out the door. He held a hand out as if he expected David to take it. "The time for games is over. It's time you learned your lesson."

David walked slowly towards the door as if he didn't give a dam about what Max said. He gazed up at him with a smart-ass grin on his face. This game wasn't over by a long shot, he thought, reaching deep into the right pocket of his coat. He wrapped the small chain inside it around his middle finger and fidgeted with the small cross that rightly belonged to Serenity.

While the war between the two vampires continued, Sage was helping the rest of them in another. He raised his cross high above his head and smiled up at the lightening. "Finally," he said under his breath, transitioning from a slow jog to a run. The cross lit up the sky and a beam of light from it fell down in front of him, instantly clearing a path through the banshees, as one by one they were ignited and their ashes blown to the wind. Serenity followed his lead, tightening her grip on his arm, every now and then glancing back to see how the others were fairing.

Marko kept close to her right side, only raising his Holy water pistol when Sage's aim missed one, and Paul did the same on the opposite side. Dwayne had to stop for a second every now and then to clear his tail as the banshees behind them circled in. He was surprised at how well the two comic boys held themselves together in the raid, holding their bows high and firing them over his head for support, even though it did little to stop the monsters.

The banshees were now hopping the fence in anticipation to their rivals approach towards the pasture, while Sage, with a quick flick of his wrist, had the lock popped and the gate open in a second's time. One of the creatures flew at Serenity from Sage's side over head, and Paul caught it. He raised his squirt gun with a hoot and slammed the monster straight in the face. It fell between him and the Frogs with fizzing foam dripping from its mouth. Edgar screamed and tap danced around and away from the foaming heap, pushing straight into Alan who fell forward and caught Marko by the shoulders.

Marko only missed a step, but turned in rage towards the two boys. "Watch it Frog face!" he growled. "You get anyone here hurt and I'll tear your heart out and suck it dry!"

Alan's only answer was, "Keep your eyes on the target, bloodsucker!"

Serenity heard the tiff and let go of Sage, breaking the power bond between them. She turned with a look of concern towards Marko. "What's wrong?" she asked, disregarding the approaching banshees.

One of them reached out for her and snagged a couple of her hairs, pulling them out by the roots as Marko growled and shoved it away before grabbing onto Serenity. He quickly let her go and turned back to the fight. "We're fine, get back to Sage!" he scolded her harshly, as he pointed with one gloved hand towards the front of the group. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to lose her now, and the only way he felt he could protect her at that moment was for her to be with Sage.

Sage felt her let go and let out a horrific 'No!' as he frantically waved his cross around in every direction. "Now is not the time for a lover's quarrel!" he demanded. "We're all going to lose our heads if we don't work together!"

"The vampires are trying to kill us!" Edgar protested, pointing back at the oozing banshee. "He threw it right at me!"

Marko glared. "Did Paul piss on your pussy willows? Sissy boys," he snarled. "You fidgeted and all but cried out for Mommy when that thing landed next to you. Maybe you should reconsider your calling as vampire hunters."

"How bout we terminate you right here and now," Alan argued. "Then we'll see who the sissy boy is."

As it were, Paul and Dwayne were almost out of ammunition as they worked double time to keep the enemy at bay while the other five quarreled. "Better fucking hurry this up guys!" Dwayne barked, holding his plastic gun close to his chest as he let a stream of the water break lose, hitting three of the demons.

"Ah shit, I'm out," Paul yelled, still holding his gun in a locked position as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Marko, you fucking got two coming in behind you…Serenity move!" He turned and lurched forward to block her from their grasp but missed and was suddenly caught in the black horde. He screamed wildly, bearing his fangs down on the black demons and sent his claws thrashing through capes and flesh.

"Dam it!" Marko cursed, backing up against Serenity to protect her as he sent another stream across the line that held Paul captive. They screamed in terror but relentlessly kept moving forward until Paul was completely out of sight. Both Marko and Dwayne dropped their weapons and flew into the mass, ripping and tearing with their claws through anything in the way of getting their pack mate back. Marko sent his fist straight threw one of the demon's skulls, before another grabbed him by the throat and took to the air. Dwayne saw him and stopped his pursuit of another to rush to the aid of his friend. He grabbed one of the squirt guns and let it rip straight into the banshee's eyes. It screamed in terror and dropped Marko to the ground.

Serenity screamed and ran to him, her eyes glowing their usual fierce orange as she courageously stepped up to the line of banshees. She glared down at them. "Give him back!" she demanded, referring to Paul and forcefully raised her hand. "Give him back now!" She stomped forward and pushed the palm of her hand towards them as though she were about to hit a brick wall. The ground shook and ten of the demons were thrown across the field.

Marko regained his footing and scooped up the gun he had abandoned, aiming it at anything that moved closer to Serenity while she worked her magic, and Dwayne moved to the opposite side to act as a shield for Sage.

"Alan, get your arrows ready!" Edgar ordered, pulling another from his backpack and positioning it perfectly against the bow's string. He pulled it back with ease and let it fly towards the banshees coming up on the opposite side. Dwayne closed in beside him and started using what was left of his liquid ammunition.

Sage continued to clear the way in front of them, although his shoulders were slumping a little since for the moment he no longer had Serenity's power; he needed her back. "Marko, it's too late for Paul, get her and let's go," he yelled, for once frustrated, yet still trying to keep his cool.

Marko fired one last shot before reaching for Serenity's arm, half afraid she might turn and blow him away. "Come on, we gotta go," he insisted. "There's just too many."

She yanked her arm back and snarled. "No! Not without Paul!" She flashed him a vicious look and turned back to the banshees, sending another group of them flying. "I'll take them all out if I have to!" she yelled, relentlessly marching towards the monsters.

"Dam it Marko, stop her!" Dwayne growled, just barely looking over his shoulder. "I'm out of ammo and the Frogs can't protect us with just these bows. You know Paul can take care of himself, now grab her before it's too late!"

Marko nodded quickly and stepped in front of Serenity, pressing the tip of his pistol into her stomach with a merciless smile and roughly pushed her back next to Sage. Serenity caught herself and curled her lips, giving him a fierce smile back before moving to push him away again, but this time he was immovable, even with her power, she couldn't budge him as he used her blood now coursing through him to work against her. Dwayne moved around to guard them, and Marko took Serenity by the arms and pushed her forward yet again. "Move it!" he ordered.

Serenity glared back at him as she moved up beside Sage once again, reluctantly putting her hand back on his shoulder, and laughed impishly when he jolted from the power she sent through his body. Her emotions were running a little wild and feverish in this fray and she was beginning to think that Marko thought he could control her, now that she had given herself to him. She huffed and glowered back at him; she would rather be food for the banshees, rather than be controlled by anyone, regardless of feelings.

With two guns down and one lost, Sage was starting to doubt. Even with Serenity's powers, the banshees kept coming, and the lightening that he thought would be most helpful had proved to be a false hope. The morale of the group was teetering as well, as the evil the banshees produced was affecting their minds and causing false accusations towards one another, even the vampires were being afflicted. He sent out one last cry for help as the demons swallowed them up into their circle of blackness.

Marko and Dwayne fought with all they had to keep the banshees off the humans who hovered below them in a small heap. Even though they had to pick and chose which ones to tear into, since being humans once as well, some were weaker than others. It was all a matter of guessing which was which, and Marko had it down. He turned and tore into one, cranking its head to the side and crushing its shoulder bones as he ripped the flesh from its neck. They bled black blood, sour blood, and he quickly spat it out, all the while still managing to rip the rest of its body to shreds. Dwayne did much the same thing; only he had no desire for cracked out demon blood. Instead, he ripped the arms from the creature, and then the legs, laughing mercilessly as the torso hopped around on the ground. By the time they had finished they were covered in black goop and looked as though they had been wrestling in a tar pit.

Edgar and Alan found themselves once again pinned by three snarling banshees. They held their crosses up against the enemies' mouths in rebuttal and closed their eyes, praying for some miracle from Serenity, who was once again lost in a rage and let go of Sage, but it was too late to use her powers, the banshees were on her immediately. Sage gasped and yelled out as he too fell to the ground, reaching out for Serenity's hand to pull her back. Marko heard this and hastily shoved the remains of his kill away. He got to her before Sage and grabbed her hand. "Come on Serenity," he pleaded throatily. "Don't let go of my hand!"

From across the field at the edge of the woods, a small blue spark glimmered amongst the trees and caught his attention. It glittered and danced back and fourth amongst the branches, looking back at him as though it had eyes, right before a bolt of lightening zipped down and struck it. The spark ignited and grew into a giant flaming ball and suddenly, as though the lightening had grown arms, it tossed the spark, and sent it flying straight towards them. The flame grew larger and brighter as it got closer and instinctively, Marko threw himself over Serenity to protect her from it. It struck down a few feet away, taking out over half the remaining banshees.

Sage popped up and jumped off the ground. "Yes!" he shouted. "It's about dam time!" A few seconds later three more fireballs struck down around them, taking out the remainder of the black demons, leaving nothing but charred earth laid out before them, and to their dismay, Paul was still nowhere to be seen.

"Shit, where the hell is he?" Marko asked, still holding Serenity's hand as they both got up off the ground. He didn't even want to think there was a possibility he could have been extinguished in the flame as well.

Dwayne looked around with a scowl, his hair a wild mess and his mouth open as if at any moment he would snarl. The field was clear for the most part, a few straggling banshees still remained on the other side of the fence, but it looked as if they had been called off, and a few patches of grass burned here and there. "And what the hell happened to David?" he asked, looking back at Marko.

Edgar and Alan were still cuddled up together in their famous freaked position on the ground, both squinting to look up with tight faces, as if they were afraid to get yet another pummeling. After a second or two, they both straightened and sat up, reaching across the ground to gather up what was left of their weapons. Finally, Edgar realized that they had defeated the banshees and he put his hand up in a fist. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "We kicked their ass man."

Sage put his hands on his hips and looked down at the two Frogs, trying to keep back a sarcastic laugh. "Yes, you two are the heroes for sure," he smiled, looking faithfully towards the woods, but his face turned back to grim when the two vampires at his side asked about their fallen pack mates. "I'm afraid I don't have all the answers. My only guess would be that Max has them now and are only option is to find a new place to hang low until we can figure out what to do next. But now that we have another team member, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Another team member?" Marko asked, pulling Serenity in closer to him. She seemed lost for words, as if using her anger for power had exhausted her.

"Yeah," Sage answered, pointing towards the woods. "You saw him didn't you? I mean, after all, just where do you think the fire came from?"

They all looked towards the clearing in the trees where a lone wolf stood, gazing out at them. The brilliant blue of his eyes sparkled in the dark for all of them to see. He howled up at the moon that was once again starting to peak its way through the clouds, and hopped about as though he were trying to fly. With one quick swing, he was up in one of the trees branches, hanging from his arms before swinging up once again to sit on one of the limbs.

"What the fuck?" Dwayne whispered. "Did I just see what I think I saw?"

"You did indeed, my friend. You did indeed." Sage answered with a smile. "Come on, let's get moving. Time is wasting." He turned and ran off towards the trees.

Marko looked down at Serenity. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were smudged in black earth, but her thoughts were locked down tight. Even still, Marko could tell by the look in her eyes that she was pained by the loss of Paul and David. He too, felt uneasy about it. He wiped her cheeks with back of his gloves and reluctantly nudged her in the direction of the group with a subdued smile. Serenity nonchalantly locked arms with him and they quietly headed towards the woods.


	17. Captive

David stood at the glass with just the tips of his fingers pressing into it as he looked around the room at nothing but white, white, and more white. In fact it wasn't even an exact white, it reminded him more of the color of tapioca, the twisted little dessert his grandma used to insist he ate every time he visited her, and he despised it; one human memory he wished he had forgotten.

He folded his bare arms and pondered those thoughts, looking more like a teen bully or perhaps a twisted version of Peter Pan, rather than a fierce killer. He took a second to look back over his shoulder. The room was intensely hot, so his long coat and leather jacket lay strung out behind him on the floor. Any longer in this hell pit and he really would sweat blood, not to mention the lights that made the small glass prison lighter than the day.

Paul was in the right hand corner of the room lying on his back, his knees up in the air, and his hands instinctively covering his eyes to shield them from the light. He moved a little, small jerky movements as if he had been paralyzed by the banshees and was now coming out of it. The movements of his stomach indicated that he was taking in slow, deep breaths, much like a human might after recovering from a traumatic experience.

Relieved to see that Paul was recovering, David turned his attention back to the glass. It was a complete square with one entrance; a room inside a room, and even the door itself appeared to have no frame. The only thing visible to ordinary human eyes would have been the solid gold lock, but David could see the small seems in the glass where it would open, if he could get it open. Max had obviously taken his time to make this little cage vampire proof. He slid one hand across the invisible wall and slowly made his way towards the door, testing the glass for any imperfections or weaknesses. But as he neared it, the tips of his fingers began to burn with immense heat. The pain became so intense that he finally had to pull them away, realizing that the entire front of the cell was saturated somehow in Holy water. It now seemed like some kind of vampire interrogation room. He wondered if Max knew that that would mean very little to him once Serenity showed up, even though he had been trying to get a telepathic message out to Marko and Dwayne for the last half hour. Unfortunately, the glass cell had kept their minds blocked from him. He didn't want her there. After all, that would mean the death of them.

"Aww, fuck man," Paul moaned, rubbing his eyes so hard it looked like he would poke his fingers through the sockets. "I can't see! Why the fuck can't I see?"

David slowly backed away from the door and went to kneel beside Paul, putting his unburned hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Give it time," he told him. "We've got nothing but time right now."

Paul startled. He knew it was David, but the touch sent a delirious sensation through him that no drug he had ever taken had done before. "Where the hell are we…hell? It's hotter than a fat man's hairy armpit in here!"

David straightened himself and smirked, looking around the room again as if he were expecting something or someone to show, possibly Max. "Nice to see you still have your wits about you."

Paul sat up and pressed his back against the clear wall, still rubbing his eyes with both hands. "If that's what you call it," he said, finally pulling them away, his eyes wide as he blinked trying to focus in on the room, his pupils dilating back and fourth from brilliant blue to amber. A few seconds later, the smell of fresh blood disrupted the battle that was going on between him and his eyes and he popped his head up letting his vampire self take over. He sniffed the stale air, letting out an animalistic sigh of joy as the scent of a human drawing nearer lofted its way through the impermeable glass.

As hunger took over, his eyes completed the change, and his nose lifted him off the floor, leading him to the spot nearest the door where a small golden chamber sat embedded in the wall of the prison. It reminded him of what a teller might use at a bank drive through, and he moved to touch it, thinking maybe he could get his hand all the way through to unlock the door.

"Don't touch that," David cautioned, now behind him. "It's covered in Holy water." He lifted Serenity's necklace up so that it dangled in Paul's face, and as he held it up, he ran his fingers once again across the forbidden glass. This time the cell did not burn him and he smiled. "Try using this."

Paul looked at David very seriously and then eyed the cross before reaching out with his claws to grab it. He snarled and roared out loud as the silver burned a Holy mark into his hand and he tossed it across the room. "What the fuck?" he raged, slamming his fists into the glass despite the pain it caused. "Let me out of this shit hole, Max!" he screamed, looking up and around the room, desperate for a way out.

David growled and picked up the fallen necklace with a frown. "I thought Serenity was supposed to protect us from that shit," Paul fumed, his fists still embedded in the cell wall in front of him, even as the flesh of his knuckles burned away, leaving small stains of vampiric blood on the glass.

David gripped the cross tightly until it made an impression in the palm of his hand, but no matter how he held it, it didn't burn him. He had also tasted Serenity's blood, Paul had not, and as far as he could tell, that was the only reason it didn't work for him in her absence. "No," he said calmly. "Only if you drink her blood. Then it will work for you when she's not around. My mistake."

"Well that's a fine how do you do." Paul said. "God dam banshees, I'm gona rip their heads off and piss down their necks!" He battered the glass a few more times with his left fist, but it did not give.

David chuckled sinisterly as the perfume of the mortal entered the room. "We gotta get out of here first." He gripped the cross necklace so that it was out of sight and Paul took his hands away from the glass, backing up so that David could take his place. They both looked on as a small Asian girl entered the room from an opening that appeared to be yet another wall. She was dressed in a white lab coat and pants and carried a silver tray with both hands. She gripped it so tightly by the edges they could see the whites of her knuckles, and on top of the tray sat a blood bag filled a little over half way full. It jiggled and splashed around inside the plastic as she shook at the sight of the two vampires. It was obvious she had never seen one before as she averted her eyes to the floor when she neared.

Paul chuckled and bared his fangs, which sent her heart racing faster than it had already been. He sneered at the donated blood that smelled of stale animal carcass and banged his fists against the invisible wall a couple more times on the opposite side of the door. "You're not scared are ya mama?" he taunted, letting his mouth open a bit wider as he laughed.

David pushed a shoulder into the clear wall next to the food deposit box and let Serenity's cross dangle in the air again. "Hey," he said, raising his eyebrows as if to get the tiny girls attention.

Her eyes darted up at him and then to Paul and then quickly back down to the ground as she inched step by step closer to her destination. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," Paul quipped.

David tapped the crucifix he held with one finger and sent it spinning around on its chain. He smiled wittingly as the girl looked up at him again. "My friend here is hungry, so why don't you slowly drop that bag into the box." The girl tilted her head and stared at him for a second, mesmerized by the cold blue of his eyes. Finally, she took one last step to the box. Without taking her eyes off of him she picked the blood bag up and let the tray fall to the floor. "Good girl." David whispered. "Now, put it in the box." He reached into the gold container and held up the small silver flap that separated the outside of the cell from the inside and waited for the feeling of the cold plastic bag to touch his fingertips.

The girls lips parted as if she were in awe; one strand of dark hair dangling in her face, and her eyes were solely focused on David's as she lowered the bag into the chamber. "Thank you," David whispered, watching as a sigh of relief finally escaped her mouth. He smiled wickedly as he felt of her hand before she could pull it away, and grabbed her wrist, bringing it forcefully through the slot. The girls fixation on him was immediately broken and she screamed in horror as David stood so menacingly calm, holding her tight. She wiggled and flailed about so harshly in fear that her arm twisted around and came out of its socket, causing her to squeal even louder.

Paul's laughter filled the room and he tossed his wild hair. "Pretty sad!"

The girl sank down to the floor. She obviously hadn't been warned about how dangerous these boys could be, and now it seemed she would do anything to escape them, even if it meant ripping her own arm off. David looked at Paul and then calmly back at the girl. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Hey, look at me," he said. "Come on." He paused for a moment, waiting for the girl to stop fighting and when she didn't obey he continued anyway. "I want you to open the door. Are you listening? Open the door and I'll let you go."

The girl stopped thrashing and looked up at him with wide eyes, then over at the door. "That's it," David continued. "Open up the door, and you can go." The girl shivered and reached deep into the pocket of her lab coat to fetch a golden key. She whimpered in pain as she reached out for the lock, now really noticing that her arm was out of place, but still managed to slip the key in. She looked back at David before turning it as if she needed his approval. "That's it," he said, giving her false hope with a tender smile. The door to the cell popped open and David released her arm.

The girl roughly yanked herself free from the slot and desperately ran for the exit only to find Paul in her path. "Where ya' goin mama? The party just started," he said, mirroring her movements from side to side as she tried to dart past him. He let out a playful, sinister laugh before finally grabbing her by her good arm and swung her around so that she had her back to him and faced David. He gently moved the hair away from her neck and bent down, running his nose along the artery, just nipping the skin their. "Oh salty goodness," he chuckled.

David walked up and lifted the girl's chin with his left hand. "This is the price you pay for messing with things you don't understand."

The girl let out a squeak, and her voice quivered as she finally spoke. "You promise…you let me go."

"I said I would, I never said anything about my friend." He smirked and let her head drop as Paul tore into her.

David picked the bag of blood up and threw it into the cell against the back wall, causing it to splatter everywhere. And when Paul had finished feeding, they hauled the mangled body into the room, leaving it there for all to see.

Meanwhile, not far from the vampire's cell on the outskirts of town, the wolf in human form looked almost like a cartoon character with his wild poufs of mane sleeked back a bit and spiked at the tips, so that it looked like he wore flames for hair. He scooted along the tree branch towards its weaker end and waited for the others to approach with a cocky smile and a small chuckle at the sight of Sage. It had been at least three years since the two had seen each other, and he was sure he'd get a brief scolding from his friend for holding out so long. "Ahh well," he said out loud, turning to look over his shoulder. "Now, where is that horse?" he whistled. "Come on out then. She's waiting for us." His heavy British accent echoed through the trees. "We're supposed to be on the same side after all." He waited for a moment but the Black refused to appear. "Silly horse," he said in a half scolding tone.

Sage covered his mouth and chuckled quietly to himself when he saw the boy sitting in the tree. He held his cross up to avert the light of the moon so that it twinkled on the other boy's cheek and across his eyes. "Always talking to yourself," he quipped, finally letting the light reflection drop to the ground. "You know you could've wasted all those banshees with a flick of your wrist if you hadn't been messing around with invisible people."

"Invisible my arse!" The boy argued, swinging his legs back and fourth until the branch creaked. His eyes went wide in surprise as he put his hands down in front of him on the roughly patterned wood to steady it. "Shit, that can't be good now can it?" He looked up at Sage a bit bewildered as though his weight actually breaking a branch would be impossible, and smiled. "Anyway, I was talkin' to tha horse."

Sage pretended to be serious and folded his arms, looking all around the forest opening as if he didn't know what the boy was talking about. "That's funny, I don't see any horses."

The kid angrily waved him away and looked in the other direction. "Pfft! Be on with ya then. Go face the demons alone, yeah?"

Edgar and Alan came up behind Sage and stood shoulder-to-shoulder after tucking their weapons safely back into their backpacks. With tight-lipped expressions and arms crossed, they looked sternly up at the boy. "State your name and business," Edgar demanded in a husky tone.

The boy looked the two Frogs over briefly before casually reaching up to pluck a loose twig off one of the higher branches and proceeded to count heads with it, excluding Sage, but including Marko, even though he still lagged a bit behind with Serenity in his arms. As soon as the boy saw her, his smile went from ear to ear. "So these are the chosen four then?"

Edgar and Alan let their guard down for a moment and looked at each other in awe, debating whether or not to tell him the truth or lie and try to get away with it for a brief moment. Although Sage's immediate laughter broke their hopes of having any significant recognition at the time. "Yeah right," he replied, reaching over to pat Edgar on the shoulder. "These two are misplaced…here by default."

"Hey!" Alan snapped, pulling away from his trustworthy sidekick. "I resent that remark! Where the hell were you two when she was pinned up in that freak show of an asylum, huh? And who was it that saved her from all those experiments?"

The boy raised his arms high in the air. "Well bloody hell, give the boy a medal!" he proclaimed, finally turning his attention to Dwayne; the one that stood back a bit, away from the others. He narrowed his eyes, making them tiny slits through which to see the vampire and study him. "I know you," he said. "You're the protector." He raised himself up and slid back against the trunk of the tree. "So is it true then? What they all say about her. Does she have tha stuff?" he asked, nonchalantly flicking a bug off of his branch. It landed on Dwayne's shoe and the kid gave him a sideways smile and a shrug. Dwayne raised his upper lip and growled as he kicked the small insect off.

"She does indeed." Sage interrupted, remembering how meddlesome his friend could be, and the fact that Dwayne appeared to be contemplating ripping his throat out. "Although," he paused for a moment, looking a little weary. "She's a bit love struck at the moment."

The boy laughed and flipped himself over in the tree, somersaulting around to land perfectly on his feet. He quickly adjusted his tight, black leather jacket, cut short just above the waist and raised a hand to Dwayne. "Who isn't these days? Am I right friend? Oh…and it's CrackerJack, by the way, but uh, you can just call me Jax."

Dwayne was not amused by the kid's parlor tricks and didn't bother offering a friendly hand back to him. "We don't need your help," he growled.

Jax stuck his hands in his pockets. "Oh right, cuz you were doing so well back there on your own. I mean look at you, you look like you've been wrestling around in a tar pit or somethin'."

Dwayne sneered as his eyes began to bleed over. "And I can make it look like you just came out of a meet shredder. How's that for square?"

Jax put his hands up in the air and backed away a little. He looked questioningly at Sage. "Is this guy for real mate? I mean come on, where's the sense of hospitality?"

"I'm afraid it's overrated," Serenity said, appearing at Dwayne's side with her hands on her hips. "Especially when there are two of us missing." She looked back at Marko. "You ready?"

"Ready? Ready for what?" Sage asked looking rather disappointed that he didn't know what was going on.

Edgar and Alan both folded their arms and shook their heads, looking at Serenity as if they were suddenly happy to go along with whatever Sage said. "Yeah, seriously, what about us?" Alan asked. "Are we going back to the lab?"

Jax huffed and stepped back with an almost sarcastic laugh. "So you really think you're just gonna run off by yourselves and save your friends? Boy ya really are out of your marbles aren't ya? Running off half cocked like ya did the last time this happened while the sun rises and get yourselves killed, yeah?" He clapped and looked disappointedly at Marko. "Bloody brilliant I'd say."

Serenity glared. "You forget, Jax, that they can be in the sunlight with me."

"Right, but Look at ya, poor girl. You need sum rest don't ya? Are ya forgettin' that your powers don't work so well when you're exhausted?" With emphasis on the word exhausted, he crossed his arms and puckered his lips, turning his attention back to Marko. "Course I'm sure you don't remember the pain she went through last time either, watching ya die…for crying out loud people, your souls have been waitin' this long to be reunited, don't make them wait any longer."

"You have a better idea? Kid Flash?" Dwayne mocked.

"As a matter of fact I do. We all stay here for the day, and tomorrow night, we all go to the lab and bail out your friends."

"You actually want to stay in this shit hole?" Marko asked, scanning Jax' face for some inkling of the past. He and Sage mentioned it so often and yet, he really had no idea, other than the fact that he was completely drawn to Serenity.

"No, Jax is right, at this rate, you two will have to feed off of Serenity," Sage reasoned, like drinking Serenity's blood would be no big deal.

"Geez you say that like it's ok," Serenity fussed. "I am right here you know, maybe you could ask me before offering me up as food. Besides, I think I can decide for myself how I feel right now. I say we vote on it…all those in favor of going after Paul and David right now, raise your hands." Serenity raised her hand in the air, followed by Marko, Dwayne and surprisingly enough, Edgar.

When Alan didn't raise his hand, he got an elbow to the ribs. "What the hell man," Edgar griped. "Truth, justice, the American way? What's with you?"

"Why the hell would I want to help them Edgar? They think we're here by default. To hell if you or anybody else thinks I'm going back to that hell pit." Alan threw off his backpack and walked away from the group. "I get no appreciation as it is."

Serenity tucked her hands into her back pockets and looked pensively at Sage and Jax. "Looks like we're going tonight guys. Have a little faith. Isn't that what you've been preaching?"

"Aww, bloody hell!" Jax said, turning sharply to kick the trunk of the tree. "You might as well execute yourselves right now!"

Serenity shrugged. "Guess that's the price I have to pay." She tossed Sage the keys to her truck. "In case you change your mind," she told him, and walked over to Alan. He was sitting on the ground facing a large green bush, mumbling something about overused comics, Spiderman and E.T. She softly put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you're here by default. I'm glad you came for me when you did, and I'd be even more honored to have you fighting at my side when this all goes down." She stood with him there quietly for a moment, but Alan didn't say anything back.

Marko came up beside Serenity and took her hand, while Dwayne let out a menacing laugh that made Edgar shriek when he realized he'd be flying with him, and just before he could turn and run, Dwayne had him in a death grip. "Christ!" Edgar yelled.

"I just love to see you Frog fuckers squirm," Dwayne growled as he lifted into the air. Marko took a hold of Serenity. She smiled and pressed herself into his chest, inhaling the wild scent of his that made her knees buckle.

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding her in much the same way he had the first night she had run into them.

"Always," she sighed, wishing they were flying off to some secluded, intimate place, rather than to face a horde of lab rat, zombies.

Sage and Jax watched helplessly from below as their forms took off in the direction of town, while Alan, at the last minute, decided to jump up and change his mind. "WAIT!" he yelled. "Wait a minute, I have to go too! Wait!" Seeing that they weren't turning around, he bounced over to Sage, almost knocking him to the ground and fumbled for the truck keys. He then took off like a crazed jackrabbit in the direction of Serenity's truck.

Jax looked at Sage. "Bloody hell, what do I know?" The two hesitated for a moment and then took off after Alan. "Hey man, wait up!"


	18. Breaking & Entering

Alan gripped the door handle of Serenity's truck hard enough to lose all the feeling in his hands as it sped recklessly through the streets of Santa Carla, breaking up bits of leftover red sludge with it's tires and dodging abandoned cars. He sat frozen, muscles tense and eyes wide, holding on for dear life every time the truck leaned to the left or right, just barely tipping up and over onto two wheels. "Ok, who's idea was if for _him_ to drive?" he asked, slowly turning his head towards Sage who sat in the middle looking quite peaceful as he studied his crucifix.

The truck screeched around another corner, slamming Alan into the window just as a hunk of goop hit it with a splat, sending him practically into Sage's lap with a shriek that sounded more like it had come from a little girl. "Holy Shit! I cannot go down like this. I'd rather be killed by Eddy Munster!"

Jax was hunched over the wheel gripping it tight with both hands as he studied the road and put even more pressure on the gas peddle. The truck fish tailed and he gave a shout of triumph. "Yes sir, this is the life my friends! It's just like playin' a game of rad-mobile, now isn't it?"

Alan glared through his fear at him. It seemed his spiked hair had grown too big for his brain. "Vampires aren't even as insane as you are," he hissed.

"Oh I beg to differ," Sage nodded, glancing up once at the road just as Jax scraped past a big semi, parked where one shouldn't be parked. "Besides, we're almost there."

"You can't even see!" Alan pleaded, letting go of the handle for a brief moment before getting thrown back against the glass once more.

Sage grumbled and pushed his cross into Alan's face to show him just what he saw. To Alan's amazement, he could see everything that they saw, so long as he looked at the religious symbol. "Step on it Jax!" he demanded.

"OH GOD!" Alan exclaimed, as Jax put on the juice. The New Life facility was just ahead of them now, and judging from the speed they were going, the high wire fence surrounding it was not going to be keeping them out on this night.

"Hold onto to your arses!" Jax cried out wildly. "We're in for a hell of a ride!" The gas pedal hit the floor as the old truck topped out at ninety miles per hour and made a b-line straight for the security gate.

"JAX!" Alan screamed. "That gate is electric!" But it was too late; the front tires bounced off the curb with a thud and sent the truck flying five feet into the air before the bumper finally collided with the heavy metal restraint. The sound of broken glass and crunching metal filled the cab as the fence faltered and gave way, causing the heavy electric wires above it to sizzle and repeatedly slap down against the roof.

Alan turned a shade of white and his eyelids twitched and fluttered back and fourth. "I can see my whole life flashing before my eyes," he panicked. "And Edgar isn't here!" He turned suddenly and grabbed Sage by the collar of his shirt. "Get me the hell out of this truck!" Sage didn't say anything, but studied Alan with his large white eyes.

Jax continued to turn the wheel this way and that while making funny little screeching noises like one might do while playing a fast paced video game, even though the truck had come to a complete stop. He finally let go and with great enthusiasm reached up an out of the already opened window, grabbing hold of the dangling electric snake that severely lashed out at him for being deprived of it's duty. "Woo hoo!" he shouted as a surge of electricity raced through his entire body bright enough to light up his bones like an X-ray machine. He slammed the back of his hand down against the door to get better control of the wire and gulped as if he were eating up its energy. A few more swallows and the wire lay still. He pulled his arm back into the cab and sat back against the seat with a sigh and a look like he had done that a hundred times. "Well, we're here," he stated casually, staring for a moment at the mess they had made and then with a gleaming, witty smile turned to Sage. "Woo-eee, I think that was my best drive yet, ya?"

"Unbelievable," Alan muttered, pushing his dented door open. He hopped out onto legs that felt like Jell-O and habitually started to count stakes, which was all he had left to offer as his cross bow had been damaged in the onslaught of banshees, and the Holy water shot dry.

"Oh, ya won't be needing those where we're going my friend. Ain't nothing in there but humans and banshees," Jax offered.

Alan glared. "I've been in there. I'll take my chances."

Jax shrugged. "Suit yourself mate."

Sage scanned the building with his cross, but couldn't get a decent reading from it. A half worried look came over his face. "I can't tell if Serenity and the others are here yet."

"Oh hey, that's alright, we'll start without 'em." Jax hopped over the hood of the truck and gave his friend a jubilant pat on the back as he headed towards the entrance.

Meanwhile, Dwayne, Marko, Serenity, and Edgar were all standing in a line facing the other side of the building, staring up at the many windows embedded in the brick above them. The only entrance on this side happened to be a door of heavy metal sealed and bolted shut, and the lock just happened to be on the inside.

Edgar's face was all too serious as he looked from Dwayne to Marko with his hands on his hips. A few beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as he spoke. "How do we really know that they're in there…you're two suck-monkey friends?"

Dwayne too, stood with his hands lightly on his hips and shook his head. He decided it was past time for insults and chose to ignore those last few words from the Frog. He shook his head and looked to Marko. "You get anything? I haven't been able to reach either of them. It's like Max has some sort of barrier up around this place."

Marko shook his head. "No, nothing."

"Well then how do we know that this isn't just some sort of trap?" Edgar continued. "Set up for her." He stepped forward and pointed a hard finger at Serenity. "For all we know, the other two bloodsuckers could be in on this." He kept walking until he stood beside her, practically in her face like a drill sergeant. "We need a better plan than this…you know that. Don't let the vampire beside you blind your good judgment."

Serenity looked away from him and softly placed her hand in one of Marko's before opening her mouth to take in some air and then swallowed hard. She put her other hand up to her temple and closed her eyes, scanning the outside of the building with her mind, searching for any little crack or crevice in the red brick that might let her inside. When she finally did find an opening she gave Marko's hand a squeeze. Her body trembled as her eyes searched the half familiar hallways, listening for the voice of either Paul or David, and it didn't take long to find them. They were wondering the hallways of Max's prison, looking for what, she couldn't quite make out.

Serenity clenched her eyes together tighter before pulling back with a gasp as a shot of pain raced through her head and a few drops of blood fell from her nose. "They're in there," she said, taking in air as though she had just had a plastic bag pulled over her head. She quickly covered her nose and turned away.

"What the hell was that?" Edgar asked, offering her a spare bandanna he had tucked into his back pocket.

"You got in?" Dwayne asked.

Marko turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders, the brief smell of her blood sent his head spinning and Edgar saw his eyes flash amber for a second. He shook his head in disgust and turned away with folded arms. "Bloodsuckers!"

Serenity finished wiping her nose and turned to meet Marko's eyes as she carefully hid the evidence of blood on the cloth and tucked it away deep into her pants pocket, knowing full well, he could still smell it. "I'm fine," she whispered, pulling back a bit to see Dwayne. "And ya, I got in. It doesn't look like they're in any danger, for the moment anyway. Who knows if Max is even in there. But that's one thing I will not go back in to find out. At least, not with my mind."

"So what do you suggest?" Edgar asked, still with his back to her.

"I don't think anybody is going to see us if we go around the front to get in." Her eyes scanned the area as she recalled her last experience there. "There are only two guards at the front door, hopefully still human, after that it's anybody's game."

Still around in the front and unknowing of who stood just behind it, Alan had managed to make it to the entrance first, remembering that they were swinging doors, and gave them a swift kick, which sent them flying inwards, and then outwards, and once again inwards.

Jax skipped up behind him and gave him a quick pat on the back. "Good thinking mate," he mocked. "But I'm sure this would have worked just fine." He took hold of the alternating doors and held them open just wide enough for the other two to squeeze through, a smart-ass smile reaching from ear to ear as Alan passed with a grumble and a scowl.

The commotion from the noisy doors roused the two guards from their chairs just inside the long hallway. They were both taller than the three boys and bigger built, carrying batons and flashlights, even though the hall was well lit. "All right, hold it right there," One of them said in a gruff voice. "You have no business playing your teen pranks in here. I suggest you turn around and exit immediately."

Jax's head went from side to side as he laughed in a ridiculous fashion. "Pranks? You've got to be joking, that's hilarious. I mean do we look like pranksters to you?" Both Alan and Sage held their tongues as Jax flashed the two older men a show of his wolfish yellow eyes. "Amateurs," he hissed, giving Sage a signal to go ahead.

Sage stepped forward. "We'll give you till the count of three to step aside and let us pass," he told them, holding his cross up high.

The guards looked at each other for a moment contemplating what they had just seen and chuckled as Sage gave them his warning. "Do you three know who we work for?" One asked. "It's gonna take more than just a few parlor tricks, son."

"Parlor tricks? Did ya hear that mate?" Jax looked at Alan. "That's just…that's just insulting!"

"Speak for yourself," Alan murmured, watching the security guards curiously. He fought vampires, not humans. "You're the ones with all the powers. So I dam well hope you can get us out of this one."

"Oh, ho ho, ye have little faith my friend." Jax turned back to the guards and whistled at them. "Come on boys, come catch us," he taunted, putting his hands up in fists.

"Oh shit," Alan screeched, jumping to take the same position. "You've got to have a better plan than this."

Jax pounced around in a circle and punched the air playfully. "Oh ya, so what if I don't? What are you gona do about it?" He made one more punch in the air as the guards inched closer. "I'd say it's high time you stop being the follower and learn to defend yourself and your rights without ya' brother."

"I'm warning you!" Sage advised the men, tilting his head to the side.

The two men laughed. "Or your going to do what? Stick that cross in our faces and pray?"

This sent Sage into a sudden rage. "Ungrateful sons a' bitches!" he yelled, throwing his symbol forward. An immaculate white light radiated from it and reached out with invisible arms that sent the two guards flying backwards into their chairs and through the walls.

"Here, here, if I only had a beer," Jax sang out as he skipped over to Alan and punched him in the arm. "Except I don't have a beer now do I? Sage doesn't like to be made fun of."

Alan grimaced. "Do you ever make any sort of sense?"

"Course I do, when it's necessary." He looked towards the fallen men and saluted them. "Bet ya didn't think we were going to be doing that, now did ya?" Alan just huffed. "Oh come on now, you take this fighting stuff way to seriously. Keep doing that and you'll end up a lonely, depressed old man."

Sage confirmed that remark with a nod and marched over to the two infidels, literally spitting on them. "Course we know who you chums work for, and you better believe I wouldn't waste my saliva on him, but that was for my friend!"

Jax laughed. "You gotta love the dedication he has. Now come, grab your stakes…" he paused. "Oh the ironies…anyway, let's go get the vamps outa here."

The other four outside kept to the shadows of the large building as they rounded the last turn, creeping out from behind it's corners only to find that the power had strangely been cut off from this side, and the high wire fence disassembled. The only light now came from the moon and the high beams of Serenity's truck, which flooded the entrance with blinding light. Even the hot-wires that had been snapped from their origin point lay still across the twisted mess of metal.

Serenity's eyes went wide as she broke away from the group, forgetting that they were trying to stay inconspicuous. Her mouth dropped open at the site and condition of what was once her transportation. "My truck!" she gasped, fumbling around with one of the doors as glass fell to the ground and into the seat.

"Come on man just leave it," Edgar insisted, stepping over some of the rubble to make his way to the entrance. He put a hand up over one side of his face to shield the light from his eyes and cautiously stood back against the stone foundation, peering around through the open doors to examine the layout of destruction. All seemed clear except for the fallen chairs and debris where two men lay passed out. "All signs are a go." But the two vampires of the group seemed intent on scanning the area for any unforeseen trouble.

Serenity sighed and looked away from the wreckage. Her eyes followed Marko as he surveyed the entrance, despite Edgar's words. She suddenly felt uneasy there alone in the dark. It was all too quiet, like a plague had suddenly befallen the town, even though the dark sky seemed tranquil and the moon shed it's light down on them. Her thoughts were suddenly overwhelmed with blood, but she couldn't tell if it had come from the boys or something else lurking in the night.

Dwayne had his hands over the bricks that outlined a darkened window just to the right of the entrance when the feeling hit him and he raised his head to the sky. Although blood always called to him, this was different and the thoughts weren't coming from Marko or the building. No, they were coming from something just outside the gates.

Marko sensed it too and instinctively changed face wasting no time on his legs, he took to the air and landed in front of Serenity. She took one look at his face and knew there was trouble laying in wait. "We have to go in," he told her, offering a hand. She nodded and took it, but as they turned to go the sound of crunching glass and wire came from behind as a large hairy beast jumped over them and landed with a thud on the hood of the truck. It stood up on its hind legs and reached for the moon with its paws, letting out a screeching howl.

"Werewolves?" Serenity choked, grabbing hold of Marko's arm with both hands as they turned and ran towards the doors.

Edgar held them open and frantically waved them in. "Come on man, move your ass's!"

Dwayne hesitated and let the doors shut, sending a mental call to Marko. _'Go! I'll hold them off.'_ Before Marko could protest the situation Dwayne was in the air, challenging the creature to follow him from the ground.

Deeper within the building, David and Paul had made it to the main lab where the mother of all computers rested, and only one person, still in human form, worked at the screen. He was way too busy to notice the two vampires stealthily sneak in behind him and by the time he got an inkling of something awry it was too late. David snaked an arm around the man's gullet and pulled him back with a rough yank, out of his chair before sinking his fangs into his skull. The spray of blood from the bite spattered across the screen and over the keyboard, as he greedily drank until the fount ran dry.

This was obviously nothing new to Paul and after a quick survey of the room he reached forward and playfully turned a few of the knobs on the electrical outlet panel. To his surprise and satisfaction, one of them activated some sort of radio station and the music that immediately blared out of the entire intercom system throughout the building was the song, 'The Ghost of Vincent Price.' "Aww shit," he cursed, stepping back for a moment, trying to figure out which knob might control the volume.

David tossed the body to the corner, but not before ripping off a part of the man's lab coat to wipe the blood from his chin. In most cases, he didn't mind wearing the blood of his kill as a statement, but for now he had to appear somewhat composed. He gave the chair in front of him a push as he made his way over to where Paul stood. It rolled on its wheels across the floor until it thumped into the dead body. "What did you do Paul?" he asked.

"Shit I don't know." He looked around the room with his hands on his hips and then couldn't help but bang his head to the sound of the music. "Have to admit it's a good song."

David looked at him coolly. "Well, they know we're free now. Let's try to find something useful, huh? We don't have much time."

There were at least fifteen different monitors mounted above the main screen to the computer and each displayed the layout of another room. One in particular caught Paul's eye and he moved forward to study it while David fiddled with some more of the knobs. From what Paul could tell, this room sat right behind the wall they currently stood in front of. He ran his fingers across the dusty cubicle and with his eyes traced along the cracked frame in the ceiling until he reached the back of the wall. Sure enough, he had found the hidden corridor, inconspicuously concealed behind the first wall.

The smell of another human breached his fine tuned sense of smell and he looked back over his shoulder. "Hey, I think I found something."

David abandoned the board panel, and they both followed the small passageway, as the smell of fresh, untainted blood got stronger.

"Holy hell," Paul exclaimed as they entered the room. There, still laying on the bed was the pale girl with auburn hair. She looked rather peaceful in her sleep, her hands folded across her chest, much like the position the vampires found come the day, with the exception of all the tubes and IV's sticking out of her body in various places.

"Well I'll be damned," David said as he moved closer to the girl and put a hand on the crystal clear sphere that surrounded her.

"Is this what they want to do to Serenity?" Paul asked, humbled for a second by the sight. He wouldn't wish this on anyone, human or not.

"No. This one has something Max wants. She's nothing more than a tool." David reflected. How many times had he used his own victims as tools?

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Paul shook. "Well, let's get her outta there then. One less tool for him to play with means one less thing to worry about, right?"

David nodded. For some reason he felt compelled to sit on the edge of the bed in silence for a while, but the girl blocked him out with her bubble of protection. Still, he remained with one hand over it while Paul took the initiative to unplug all the machines.

While this was going on, Jax, Sage and Alan had made it to the second floor unnoticed. In fact to them the place seemed dead. "Oh, boys and girls, I don't like the feel of this," Jax said, turning in a circle to see everything around him as though he were waiting for something to jump out of the wall. He startled when the sudden onslaught of music drummed into his ears.

Alan rolled his eyes and fell back against the wall with his arms crossed. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Well, now, now," Jax said, changing his mind. "Let's not jump to conclusions eh? Let's see…if Max were keeping them here, where do you suppose they'd be? There's got to be some sort of holding place here." He went up to one of the doors and gave it a hard knock. "Hello! Anybody home?"

"Uh guys…" Sage had been facing the other direction when he heard footsteps coming swiftly down the hall, and now his crucifix had turned a burning red color. "We've got company." He backed away from the oncoming threat, past the other two and ducked into one of the already open rooms. Alan took one look down the hall and followed after him.

"Oh hell, it's just a bunch a' lifeless banshees," Jax realized, taking up a fighting stance. "We can take 'em, no problem." He turned to see that the other two had suddenly disappeared. "Huh," he snorted with a smile, turning back to the monsters. "Just you and me then?"

The banshees moved after him step by step as he slowly moved backwards down the hallway, running his fingers blindly down the wall in search of an electrical outlet he had found right before the other two had vanished from sight. "That's it boys," he taunted under his breath. "Come and get it."

Finally he hit pay dirt. He turned his head to glance at it and spread his legs apart on the checkered floor to steady him, while his free hand went up flat palmed towards the whaling creatures. One last little chuckle as his eyes turned yellow and he plunged a finger into the socket.

The lights flickered as the energy buzzed straight through him, setting his skin aglow as if it were transparent. Every single bone in his body shown through the thin layer of flesh that was Jax as he forced the jolt up into his raised hand and sent it flying towards his foes. The banshees didn't have a chance. They were hit like lightening and instantaneously combusted, leaving little piles of ash all over the floor.

Finally, he pulled his finger out, satisfied that they had all been dispatched, and heaved forward onto his knees to catch his breath just as Marko, Serenity and Edgar found their way up the stairs and onto the same floor.

"And you need us because?" Marko asked, looking at the black dust that surrounded his boots.

Jax barely had enough strength at that moment to look up at them, let alone say anything. "It comes with a price my friend. Only a price," he huffed, pushing one foot out in front of him to try and get up. Instead he wavered and fell right back to his knees.

Serenity tiptoed around the ashes and ran to help him. "Here, put your arm over my shoulders," she said as they both heaved to rise, while Edgar just kicked at the soot, causing a thick cloud of it to creep into the air. He coughed as it settled onto his face, making him look raccoon eyed.

"This stuff smells worse than burnt flesh," he griped.

Alan heard him and led Sage back out into the hallway. "You guys see anything?"

"No", Marko answered. "But you can bet that music was Paul's doing. Let's find them and get the hell out of here before the sun rises."


	19. Nowhere to Run

Edgar was relieved to see his partner in crime still intact with no missing body parts. In fact, trying to wage war on the immortals seemed a lot harder without him by his side. They were still a team after all, and the last hour had seemed like forever. He all but ran over to Alan's side, tromping through the remaining ashes and leaving hard impressions with the bottoms of his boots as he did. But instead of breaking down and giving Alan a hug, he gave him a rough pat on the back. "I'm glad you're here man. These guys don't listen to a word I say, and we've got some serious shit going down."

Alan just rolled his eyes before he turned and returned the gesture; only his was more of a sarcastic punch. "You have no idea. At least you didn't have to ride in on the crazy train," he told him, pointing a slack finger at Jax and Sage.

"Can you move?" Serenity asked of Jax, who was still doubled over trying to catch his breath. He looked just about as pale as a vampire and his hair was a tad bit frazzled; not quite the spiked, flamed look he'd had an hour before.

"Oh ya, I'll be all right. It just takes a minute or two for my powers to rejuve, ya know. Could use a good shot of Guarana right about now though." He looked up at her sideways with one eyebrow cocked and smiled wittingly. "_You_ wanna give me a jolt lady?" He leaned in without waiting for an answer, and rubbed his left shoulder lightly against hers.

She raised an eyebrow in turn, and looked at him with questioning in her eyes, almost on the brink of irritated from his invasion on her personal space, but the friction that ignited instantly between them had the tiny hairs on her arms standing on end. She could feel the small trickle of energy being passed between them, and within moments, the olive tone returned to Jax's face. Even his hair seemed to settle back into its proper place. Serenity eyed him again, curious, as she tried to calculate what his thoughts might be while her arm slowly slid off the back of his shoulders. But he seemed completely unaware of her look as he stood tall and straightened his jacket, then turned towards her and presented a small bow, his eyes still upon her, and added a little wink to show his appreciation. "Why thank you, milady."

Serenity blushed and moved a bit uneasy in her spot. It wasn't everyday that she rubbed shoulders with someone like him. The sensations were almost sensual and surreal. She couldn't help but look up at Marko half embarrassed, and then back at Jax. "Uh…you're welcome?"

Jax pursed his lips as he caught a hint of her feelings. "Ah, Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me," he whispered.

Serenity heard a chuckle come from behind her and knowing it was Marko, she looked back at him with a frown. It wasn't right that he made her feel like a fool so easy as he stood in his normal, casual pose with an all-knowing smile drawn across his face. _'It's ok. I already know what you like,'_ he told her mentally, his grin widening.

_'What's that supposed to mean?'_ she shot back at him, a little snappier than she had wanted.

He shook his head. _'I'll tell you later, when we don't have a bunch of demons on our tails.'_

This private engagement caused Sage to finally step forward, holding his crucifix high for all of them to see. He hated to break the slight silent conversation he knew Marko and Serenity were sharing, but time was running out. "We still need to get what we came for, and like you said the sun will be here soon."

Marko moved in to see what reflected in his tiny symbol, as did Edgar and Alan. It revealed the brilliant horizon and the great light of the sun starting to emerge from just below it.

Serenity forgot her little power trance and moral discomfort and looked to Marko again, this time for a little guidance as she held the shoulder that Jax had grazed, almost as if she were afraid more power would come leaking out of her and become spoiled like some toxic waste. "Can you hear them yet?" she asked, referring to David and Paul. Her own mind was frazzled in this place. It was as if all the thoughts she heard in her head were becoming tangled in each other and were therefore translated into some alien gibberish; all of them, except for his. "I can't wait to get out of this place."

Jax stepped over, almost in-between the two and looked from one to the other with intrigued interest before flicking Serenity's hand away from her shoulder. "Wha' you think I got cooties or somethin'?"

Marko gave him a low, dismayed look that told Jax his interruption was not welcome. "Alright, alright," he declared, raising both hands in the air. "I get your point. Was jus' trying to help is all. You don't have to be such a stiff." He shuffled away letting his hands drop loud against his hips before turning sharp to point a finger at Marko. "Just remember mate, we're all in this together!"

Marko rolled his eyes and turned back to Serenity. "I can't hear them. Max still has some sort of barrier up. You feel it don't you?" Serenity's lips parted as if she were about to say something, but instead she only nodded and closed her mouth again. "Sage is right though," he continued, his casual equanimity suddenly fading as he said this, looking uneasily back over his shoulder down the now darkening hallway. "We need to hurry."

Serenity looked too, as a strange noise suddenly made its way towards them echoing through the seemingly empty building. It was a heavy clunking; the sound of metal crunching down on metal, and the dim light in the distance began to fade. Edgar and Alan looked at each other exchanging dreadful glances. "What's going on here guys?" Edgar asked, urging Alan to move even closer to Sage by poking him in the ribs.

"We're about to be shut in for the day," Marko answered, looking to the ceiling and then all around. He reached out with his fingertips to touch Serenity's, afraid she might suddenly vanish if he didn't. The heavy feeling of sleep from the early dawn hours were starting to take over which made him all the more uneasy, but the thought of being trapped in Max's facility while he slept made him even more unnerved. "We have to get you out of here," he insisted, putting both of his hands on her shoulders and quickly walking her in the direction of Sage and Jax. "You guys can take her out of here. I'll stay and find David and Paul."

"What? NO!" Serenity protested, pushing his hands away so she could turn and look him in the face. "I'm not leaving you in here! I'm not leaving anyone in here!"

"We don't have time," he pressed. "You'll be safer out there, in the sun…with them." His voice got quiet as he said the last two words and he studied her face for a moment. "You know it's better this way."

Serenity shook her head in disagreement. "No, no I don't." She didn't want to leave his side, not if it meant wondering and worrying the whole day through about whether or not he would actually make it out of there without the wrath of Max striking. No, she would rather stay and find some dark hole to lie beside him in while he slept.

Sage cut in, unable to bear the sorrowful scene any longer. "We can find them," he said softly, placing a hand on both their shoulders. " Besides, it's better if you two stay together."

Jax shook his head in slow motion and slammed a foot into the tiled floor. "Bugger me! I bloody hate to say it, but he's right, mate. You two are better off together. It's that whole, meant to be thing, ya know," he said, casually waving a hand through the air as if he hardly had any interest in mushy, gushy romance.

Serenity beamed and thanked him silence. "But I still hate leaving you guys in here." Before she could say another word, one of Marko's gloved hands claimed her arm again. He had apparently heard enough and was ready to go. She didn't even have time to protest the fact that she was also perfectly capable of fleeing without the guidance of her vampire lover pulling her with haste down the corridor, just not before credit was given where credit was due.

"Oh and Marko," Jax called, causing them to make an abrupt stop at the foot of the stairs. "Just another bit of advice. Remember she's tired, you know what that means don' ya? You bloody feel the sun even start to tickle that undead skin a' yours, and don't hesitate to take some of that precious blood I know you're burning for. It's the only way to keep ya alive."

Serenity blinked. She was tired, she hated to admit it, but she swore if took sweating blood, or Marko draining her to the last drop, her energy would suffice.

Marko didn't say anything; he just nodded and urged Serenity down the stairs with him.

"Wait a minute. What about us?" Alan asked, making for the stairs as well. "Maybe we should go with them."

Jax slouched forward and gave him a dishonorable look. "You see, there ya go again, being all apprehensive, because I know you're only really concerned about your own well fair right now. You'll miss the thrill of the fight if ya go now, and where's the fun in that?"

"He's right, man," Edgar spoke up. "It's better if we stick to the game plan. Besides, if he fries, it's one less bloodsucker we have to be accountable for later." He paused. "I take that back, that's two we have to be less accountable for. One of them is already out there."

Sage frowned. If his eyes had been anything but white at that moment they would have been red. "You just remember you said that later on," he scolded, before turning to lead the way down the black hall. "Ungrateful idgets!"

Meanwhile, the eerie hollow sound of the metal doors and windows slamming closed grew louder as Serenity and Marko delve deeper into the stairwell, and it was just as dark, which made it harder for Serenity to see. She wiggled her fingers down under the top strap of Marko's chaps and into his belt loops, taking a firm hold of them as their descent continued with his impeccable eyesight. The stairs seemed harder and colder under their feet and the walls felt as if they had turned to brick. The feeling that they were suddenly descending down into the dungeon of an old castle caused Serenity to shiver as an old vague memory slipped into her mind.

"Marko," she whimpered, trying to bring herself closer to him. "I think we're going the wrong way."

A cold draft of air caught them off guard and Marko slowed the pace. He pulled her closer to him as a presence seemed to float past and then a sound came, ringing in both their ears, which caused them to stop altogether. He turned, instinctively pinning her between the wall and himself as if he were shielding her from whatever may be present there. 'What is it?' she asked. He didn't answer, but she could tell he was listening for something or someone.

_'Marko, do you have Serenity?'_ It was David's voice, and Marko let out a long breath.

_'Yes, I'm taking her out of here before we get locked in. You have Paul?'_

_'And then some.'_ David answered. _'We're coming to you, get back up the stairs, I'm sure one of Serenity's choir boys knows how to get the steel traps open. It's better if we exit together. You think your girl has enough power to keep us alive?'_

Serenity glared through the dark finally hearing David as well. _"I can hear you asshole,"_Serenity butted in. _"I'm not some high powered gadget you know."_

_'Watch your mouth princess. There's nothing wrong with being sure.'_ David told her. _'Marko, get her back up here, now!'_

About halfway down the hall in the other direction, Sage stopped short in his tracks to listen. "I think someone's coming. Three…there's three pairs of feet coming this way."

"I'm ready," Jax told him, searching again for the nearest outlet. The tips of his hair glowed a bright orange-red in the dark, declaring even more what he was all about. "One, two, three O'Larry!" He sang out, before bounding over sideways to knock the two Frogs into an adjacent open room. "I suddenly feel it's better for unarmed civilians such as yourselves, to stay here in the safe confinements of this uh…" he looked around thoughtfully. The room was full of desks and chairs and books, and a chalkboard. "Classroom," he concluded. "While we fight for the good of mankind." He gave them a gleeful nod and slammed the door.

Edgar and Alan were too shocked to even realize what Jax had just done until it was too late. Then and only then did they both run for the door, slamming their bodies and fists against it to no avail. So instead Edgar worked at the knob, jiggling it back and fourth so violently that it finally broke off. Jax had somehow sealed it off tight from the outside.

"What the hell man? This is an insult!" Edgar declared. "We have way more experience than those hoity toity freaks out there."

Alan backed away from the door with a dumbfounded look on his face as he examined the room. The chalkboard was a dark green color he decided and the writing on it was endless; thousands of tiny scribbles in mathematic form, some describing the consistency of spells, and others calculating their correct formulas. He made his way over to it and picked up two of the erasers, smacking them together to make a thick cloud of white dust, and then began frantically erasing all the letters, words and numbers.

Edgar looked up from trying to pick the broken lock on the door. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, the frustration showing in his squinted eyes.

"We're stuck in here. We might as well make good use of our time," Alan answered plain and simple, as he continued to obliterate the board of its teachings. This sudden ridiculous rebellion had caused his camouflaged clothing to turn a bright white, due to the floating dust from the chalk.

"Well then you might as well burn the books and desks as well!" Edgar argued. "Cuz it doesn't matter what you do now, the bad guys already have their answers! I mean come on, have you lost your mind?"

Alan stopped what he was doing and both his head and the hand holding the eraser fell slack for a moment before he turned on Edgar and directly through the chalk and dust ridden tool at him. It hit him square in the chest, leaving a smudged, white imprint on his dark green tee shirt. "This was a bad idea," he growled.

Edgar's face was priceless. It looked like he had just had a hundred water balloons smashed over his head and for once he was speechless.

Alan raised the other eraser in the opposite hand as he spoke, but he had no intention of throwing it. That first direct hit had been victory enough. "I told you we should have just taken Serenity ourselves and forced her out of town! Now she's all washed up with those freaky geeks and night crawlers. Not to mention that this could very well be our last night on Earth and I'm stuck in here, which makes me feel very much like destroying the crazy babble of a mad scientist, vampire."

Edgar sighed finding his patience and brushed the dust off his shirt. "Look man, I know how you feel, this is no plan, and it's a death sentence. Where's the teamwork? Where's the justice? It's nowhere. But for Christ's sake, will you please pull yourself together and help me find a way out of this crap hole?"

Alan kept his mouth shut for a moment and looked from side to side. "Only way out is through that window," he finally said, raising one arm straight out in the direction of the glass pane.

Edgar stopped working the lock and turned to the window, gritting his teeth in thought. "Did you notice that it doesn't have a metal trap door?"

Before Alan could answer, two bodies came crashing through the glass, shattering it to pieces, which caused both of the Frogs to jump and practically run into each other's arms, but they didn't. Instead they took cover behind the large oak desk and watched as the two forms landed in an interlocked heap on the floor.

"That guy's really hairy," Edgar noted, as the two intruders proceeded to roll around growling and snarling at each other.

Alan stared on at the two until his brain finally registered what exactly it was that they were seeing and he punched Edgar in the arm. "That's a werewolf!"

"No shit! And that's the other bloodsucker we left outside. I don't suppose we brought any silver with us?"

"I don't know, let me check." Alan finally ditched the eraser and grabbed his backpack up off the floor and shoved it down with a thump on the desk. His look was a rather disappointed one as she shuffled through it finding nothing of significant use against the beast.

Dwayne had managed to get the werewolf underneath him as soon as they hit the ground, but the animal simply reached up with it's long claws and tore the flesh away from the vampires upper arm, causing him to let out a feral hiss as he was pushed away. Still, he managed to find the right footing and was standing upright in a matter of seconds, as was the wolf. It snarled and bared its fangs, circling to the left while Dwayne circled to the right.

"That's a no go on the silver," Alan reported, just as the two fighting creatures lunged at each other once again. They crashed through a couple of the desks, sending splinters of wood flying here and there as well as papers and books that were also scattered. And since the two hunters were seemingly out of ammo, they decided the best thing to do was duck and cover.

As they sat huddled and hidden in the small nook under the table, a small ray of light crept its way across the floor from the window and up over the two slayers tennis shoes, which Alan noticed before Edgar. He traced the golden stream back to the window seal and nudged his brother. "We need a plan. The sun is coming up."

"Right," Edgar agreed, rubbing his temple. "That fleabag will soon turn back into the human it controls. I say we wait for it."

"Yeah, but that means that the sun coming through the window will cause the vampire to combust into flames."

"Tell me again why we would have a problem with that?" Edgar demanded. He looked over his shoulder as if he could see the two animals scrapping it out through the wood of the desk.

"Serenity will have your head," Alan answered, slowly crawling out. "If the other vampires don't first."

"Man, you have lost your mind." Edgar griped, slinking out as well.

Alan pointed an angry finger at him. "Don't you dare say that! I have my reasons. Besides, I'd rather live to slay another night."

Edgar put his hands on his hips and sighed before picking up one of the offending erasers. "You have a good point," he said and without thinking whaled the thing at the werewolf's head. "Hey meatheads! Suns coming up."

The beast turned on them with malignant, glaring eyes and his canines bared as he frothed at the mouth. They had spilled not a drop of Dwayne's blood on this night as they kept a magnificent ivory color, despite the drool they deposited to the floor. Only his claws were traced with blood and he needlessly swung them through the air towards the Frogs. His elongated whiffer caught their scent and he howled.

"Um, now what?" Alan asked seeming completely baffled as he stared the animal down.

Edgar looked at him, then at the wolf, and then down at the window. His calculations were never wrong, so why wasn't this primal beast altering back to its human self?

Dwayne took a few silent steps back and folded his arms with a menacing laugh. In the few years that had passed these two hunters had remained the same in that their hunting skills lacked knowledge. He debated whether or not to interfere or just let the brats have at it. That would teach the two not to meddle with things they weren't fully educated about, if they survived that long. If he survived that long, he thought, glancing wearily at the ever-brightening light. He huffed and leaned back against the wall, letting his fangs recede and grazed the wound on his upper arm with his fingertips. It hadn't even started to heal yet due to the lack of feeding time, and soon he wouldn't have the strength to hide from Max's hired lab coats or any other threat.

The werewolf growled and lunged at the two teens, leaping onto the desk in front of them as they both screamed in unison and backed into the chalkboard. The hairy beast stood on its haunches and howled again, only this time the howl faded to a low, hoarse gurgle as Dwayne caught it by the throat. He wasn't going to take the chance of being stuck in the same room with such a beast during the day. A twisting of bones was heard throughout the room as his sharp fingernails cut into the masculine neck and vertebrae. As the deed was done the wolf shrank back, and the hair on its hide was sloughed away and fell to the ground, leaving a massive pile of course, dark fur. The tipped ears shrank as well, and its bulky paws, leaving tiny frail hands in the humans wake.

"Holy shit!" Alan proclaimed. "It's a girl."

Dwayne finally let the female sink to her knees and then her hands before collapsing before them on the table; he then let go completely and backed away.

"I've…I've never dealt with something like this," Edgar stated, searching the room for answers as he watched the lifeless half humans blood run its course down and off the table. The slight moans coming from Dwayne distracted him when he noticed the vampire backing himself into a corner to retreat from the light.

"Dam it!" Alan cursed, shoving himself away from the girl. He had to find something to cover that window and fast or Dwayne would be toast, even though half of him yelled and screamed just to let the fiend die a horrible and painful death.

"Alan!" Edgar pointed towards the wall close to the ceiling where a few animal skins were displayed. He grimaced at the sight of them, noticing that each one still had its feet. "Those should work."

Alan twisted his head back and fourth and rolled his eyes in disgust. "You've got to be kidding me. How the hell am I supposed to get them down?" An even better excuse to let the bloodsucker roast, but instead he just curled his upper lip into a snarl and dragged one of the smaller tables over against the wall so he would have something to stand on while he hopped up and down trying to grab one of the critters legs. Edgar followed behind him, grabbing another stepping aid and they both bounced up and down until they both hit the jackpot. The hides easily ripped away from the pins that secured them and fell over the two boys' heads.

"Ahh! Christ! Get it off me, I can't see!" Edgar screeched as he whirled around flailing his arms in every direction. Alan flung his across the room towards the window and quickly dispatched the offending pelt from his brothers head, and despite the commotion, Dwayne didn't stir. He stayed huddled in the corner with his arms up over his face to protect it from the light.

"Come on." Alan urged, shoving Edgar over to the window. Still, they had nothing to keep the skins in place over it, and the original pins were too high to reach. So instead, Edgar grabbed the stapler off the desk and began pounding away. After about two packages worth, they finally had the hides somewhat secured, leaving them in the complete darkness.


	20. Fatal Reminiscence

Serenity pressed her back and the palms of her hands into the cold wall behind her. The feel of it was not slick and smooth like it should have been. It was rough and patterned like bricks would be. The red color burned in her mind as she slowly moved her fingers across it, wondering how an image from a past life could make itself so vivid. She thought for a minute that it could be one of Max's tricks, but then she remembered the kiss she had shared with Marko outside the barn and how the red sludge had turned to snow. This new memory was tugging at her insides, causing her to yearn for something she couldn't see, or know. Perhaps it was trying to tell her which direction to go in all this chaos, but still she wasn't sure.

Her eyes searched for Marko's in the dark, and even though she couldn't see him, she could still feel him pressed against her. His arms were almost above her head, pressed into the wall, his body parallel with hers. She could hear him thinking as well about which move would be the best; listen to David, or take his chances and try to get her out. Either way, she knew he was unaware of this vision she was having and it pained her to think their connection was absent. It sent a chill through her and she shivered.

Marko felt it and slipped a hand under her chin, and before she knew it, his lips found hers. She wanted to gasp from the shock the feel of them sent through her, soft yet chilled, passionate with a fire that screamed brutal. She took it all in hungrily, moving her hands up to his shoulders with a forceful pull so that he pressed into her all the more as she closed her eyes. Maybe this connection would help him to see what she saw and thought.

The flames of a dozen candles held neatly in their candelabra's suddenly lighted the stairwell. The smell of death rose from the bottom, as did the distant sound of water dripping from some unseen place. Marko pulled slightly away from Serenity and looked down the stairs. Finally she could see his eyes. "Now do you see it?" she asked, fiddling with the lures and patches on his jacket.

"Yes," was his answer and he turned back to her. "This is one of our memories."

She nodded slowly, studying him. "Took you a second, I was worried." She swallowed, lost in the gorgeous blue-green hue of his gaze. Her fingers needed the material of his jacket and she squinted almost glaring. Who the hell cared if the world ended now? This is where she wanted to be.

He caught the glint of her eyes and a few of those rapid thoughts. The price for being a vampire was usually at the cost of losing your mortal recollections, but he never guessed it would be any from his past life, and if that were the case, he would have feared the bond between them would have been extinguished.

He kissed her again. "Don't be. They're still there. They'll never leave me, I promise." He moved his hands down to the small of her back, pressing her still even closer and smiled. She was so warm, so soft and the smell of her blood once again called out to the animal inside him. He needed to feed. It had been too long and the ache of hunger coursed through his being almost as much or more as his love for her.

Serenity ran her fingers through his soft curls and leaned her upper body into him with a tilt of her head, pressing his lips to her neck. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. "Do it," she whispered.

Without a seconds hesitation he sank his fangs in deep, inhaling the sweet, copper perfume her blood released as he drank, pushing her roughly against the cold stone, while clawing at her shoulders, trying not to rip her apart.

She gasped as he ripped at the vein, urging her body to give him more. The pain from his bite had subsided and turned to pure ecstasy. It caused her to clench her fists in his hair, willing him to take more as a moan escaped from her mouth. But he could feel her knees beginning to buckle as he fiercely took in every drop of her life. "Marko, stop." Her voice was weak. Truthfully, she didn't want him to stop, but her energy had already been low, and she wasn't quite sure how long it would take to revive from being killed at this point. Her hands untangled from his hair and she reached down over his shoulders, trying to urge herself to push him away.

"Please stop," she whimpered, quickly giving up the fight.

Her body went limp in his arms and he knew he had to pull away. He growled and bit into his tongue as he released his fangs, running it smoothly over the wounds he had created to close them up. He felt her take in a deep breath and held her up, brushing his lips against hers once again for another kiss. "I'll feel you forever," he whispered. "Don't be scared, but I know what happened down here."

Serenity licked her lips and pushed herself up into the nook of his neck. "Tell me," she said in a very faint tone.

"This is where you died." He felt her sob and held her close. Never in all his undead years with the other boys had he felt the fear of losing a human he had touched. He wanted to tell her it would be ok, but that would be a lie, because in truth, he didn't really know.

She forced herself to stand on her own. "Tell me why. How? I don't think I can make it back up those stairs if you don't."

Marko bit down on his lower lip and his facial expression transformed from sympathetic to unbreakable as if he had suddenly decided that it was better not to lie. "We have to keep moving," he told her. "Max is coming and I'll be damned forever if he touches you." He hastily scooped her up into his arms and climbed the steps back up towards where they had left the others.

Serenity didn't protest. Instead, she laid her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes, hoping that the strength of four vampires and the magic of two humans like her would be enough to stop Max.

Further up in the building, David was full of questions. "So how did you get in here?" he asked, as he followed the auburn haired girl, along with Paul, down the corridor of the darkened hallway. David could see it just fine. It was the same level as the lab with the antidote he had found for Serenity, complete with black and white checkered tiles.

"I don't remember," the girl replied low as if reticent. Her objective was straight forward as she swung her arms back and fourth and walked with long strides. The white silk of her clothes flowed eloquently behind her like that of an angel's. "What's important now is that we find Serenity before Max does. Did you tell your boy, Marko to bring her back?"

David looked at Paul who had become quite intent on studying the ground in front of him as they walked. He had been more than serious since their finding and it troubled David some. Perhaps the girl in the cell hadn't been enough of a feed. "Does everyone around here suddenly know who we are?" he asked her rather irritated.

The girl looked back at Paul, but he just glanced up at her and then down at the floor. "Don't worry. It's just a short after affect from being stunned by the banshees. Happens to us all," she said matter-of-factly. "Even those of us who don't drink blood. My advice would be to get him some of Serenity's blood, as soon as possible. I would offer mine as thanks for saving me, but I need to focus, and yes, we do know you. It's our job."

Paul raised an eyebrow when she mentioned the word blood and licked his lips. "Gotta get me some chow," he whispered.

"So what you're telling me is that the cure all for our disasters is Serenity's blood?" David asked.

The girl pursed her lips and let out a long breath as though she were aggravated by their lack of knowledge. "Someone should have told you this already. You are the chosen four. You protect her and she protects you, _that's_ how it works. I hope you're a quick study."

David was half offended by that remark and reached for her arm to get her to stop for a second and explain things better. But instead, he got the hard shock of her defense as the same clear wall that surrounded her in one of Max's labs shot up around her. "Easy there princess. I'm just trying to get some answers here. I've got more than just the girl to protect."

The girl let her shields down. "Listen, I'm sorry this is so abrupt, but I'm sure Max is headed in the same direction we are. And if Marko is bringing her back this way, we need to get to them before he does. You of all…beings…should know this."

David sidestepped around so that he was face to face with her. "Yes, but one of my own is down. He's in a room just a few feet away with a couple of crazed teenage kids who think they are vampire hunters and a werewolf. He needs some of my blood."

The girl didn't back down, nor did her expression quiver as David's eyes bore into her. In fact she stood just as tall as he did. "First things first. Or do you want the world to end tomorrow night?"

"He won't be any good to us if he doesn't feed before night fall," he argued back.

The girl opened her mouth and took in a deep breath but she didn't let it out until she spoke. "Your attitude is really beginning to annoy me. I suggest you find some other way. I mean, you don't think Max will come alone do you?"

As the two argued, Sage was inching ever closer to them holding his cross up in the air with Jax at his side. He knew they were approaching the foreigners, but despite the light his weapon emitted, he couldn't catch a glimpse of any bodies.

He stopped and smelled the air with his head inclined and one knee bent out in front of him to take another step. It looked like he had suddenly been frozen in that position as he glanced backwards from the corners of his eyes.

"What is it, mate?" Jax asked, twisting himself around to have a look. His hair alone could have been a dead giveaway to their whereabouts with the way it smoldered a bright orange at the tips. Then again, that usually meant that he had jacked enough juice from the power outlet to let a surge of electricity rip without sticking his finger in another socket.

Sage sniffed the air again. "Someone else is coming." He concentrated for a moment as he counted footsteps in the air with one finger. "There are six of them," he whispered with heavy breath as his eyes moved frantically from side to side. "Serenity…I can smell her blood in the air. She's still here. Her and Marko are headed this way." His eyes went wide with color. "They're too close to her Jax!"

"Well shit then, let's go!" Jax exclaimed. The two of them whirled around to run down the hallway only to be caught in a direct hit by something invisible blocking their path. They smacked into it with a thud and ducked back, turning once again to see what foe could possibly be at hand this time.

"Blimey o' reilly!" Jax exclaimed, trying to collect himself. "The least you could do is fight fair, instead of hiding in the shadows like they're the skirts of a bunch of woman!"

A shimmer erupted from the dark as the young girl stepped forward with one hand raised, and both of the boys' mouths fell open.

"Sa-Sasha?" Sage choked. "No way! You're alive?"

The girl nodded and let her hand down to rest at her side. "It was a mistake coming here," she cooed softly. "But two of the chosen ones found me. I consider myself lucky." She gave Paul and thoughtful look, but all David got was a slight glare, as the two stepped forward.

Sage nearly choked again and looked a bit pale for a moment. "Holy shit!" So they finally did something useful, he thought.

Paul took notice of Jax in a dazed sort of way and pointed at him as if he were having a vision of the past himself. "I know you! Flamer!"

"Oh ha ha ha, man, always the joker," Jax retorted. "That's pretty snide coming from a banshee lover like yourself."

Paul was out of it and in no mood to take shit back so he growled at the reply. His eyes became narrowed slits rimmed in amber and he heaved himself at Jax. Fortunately, David's quick hand caught him before fangs and flesh ripped into each other. "Take it easy boys. Let's at least start with introductions." His concern was growing for Paul as he could feel the younger lost boy was indeed caught in something, and it wasn't an after effect from the banshees.

Jax huffed and straightened his beloved jacket with a frown. His light-hearted and usually humorous self had stepped out the door the moment he had laid eyes on Paul, but he tried hard to push issues away and held out his hand. "Cracker Jack, in the flesh." He scowled. "I already know who you two are."

Sasha folded her arms. "They should have been introduced a long time ago…Sage." She regarded him with stern eyes.

"There was no time," he tried to explain. "We were bombarded by banshees. It all happened way too fast."

"Well, it looks like time is about to run out for us again," she said, pointing down the hall.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise." Max said, as he casually strolled up behind them, pulling his glasses down to look at the group. He was backed by five of his lab techs armed with taser guns and tranquilizer darts.

David sneered at them. "Like hell it is. Come to admire your handy work?"

"What are you talking about, David? All I want is the girl." Max pointed a finger at him. "Yet, you always think you're clever when you try to hide her from me, but you forget that I can smell her just as much or better than you can. So, tell me…where is she?"

Sage sucked his lips into his mouth, hoping against hope that Marko and Serenity had their ears open, lest they run right back up the stairs straight into Max's grasp.

"Oh sod off already!" Jax snarled, standing with his legs apart and his hands on his hips. He had heard enough babble from this brainier monster. "She's not for you, you bag of shite! We've come to make sure a' that."

"Well boys I'm sorry for the confusion, but my quarrel is not with you," Max told him in a seemingly innocent tone. "Now, let's just do this the easy way, shall we? And avoid any unnecessary damage."

"You're quarrel started with us the moment you touched one of ours!" Sage yelled, pointing at Sasha. "And you will never get Serenity! She is where she belongs."

"Hmm, yes, the culprit being Marko no less," Max hastened to add. "It's such a shame too, I've rather admired him, so obedient. Of course you know what that means, don't you David?"

David rolled his eyes. "Your threats are becoming rather boring old man. Maybe it's time we had a heart to heart. Talk about who should really be running this show."

"Paul get behind me," Sasha said, very gently tapping his arms as a gesture for him to duck and cover. "This could get ugly."

A moment later, Marko and Serenity appeared at the foot of the stairwell. Max took one look at the two and changed face as Marko backed down a few stairs half in shock. "So this is what I get for giving you boys eternity?"

Marko shook the surprise off his face and stepped up, placing Serenity behind him. "You can't have her Max."

Max let out a raucous, thundering laugh and signaled for his followers to take their positions. Marko had nowhere to go but down in order to shield himself and Serenity from their flying darts.

A few of the lab techs turned to the rest of the group and Jax let out a roar that sounded more like something a werewolf might do. He shed his jacket and tossed it at Sasha. "Hold my jacket love, this piece a' crap is mine!" He let out another howl as his nose elongated into that of a wolf, his hands and feet became paws, and fur sprouted from his back. He sank to the floor on all fours and snarled up at the men in white coats before he leapt into the air after them.

"Jax wait!" Sasha called, raising her hand to invoke the safety of the shield. "Sage, get behind me!"

A shower of darts hit the invisible barrier, but it was too late for Sage and he was struck in the neck. "Dam it!" he cursed, quickly pulling it out even as the sedative worked it's way through his blood stream. The walls and the figures of his friends around him became blurred and he dropped to his knees. "Kill em' Jaxsss," he slurred. His cross fell to the ground and he was out.

Jax dodged the first group of darts, hopping from tile to tile on nimble paws until he was face to face with one of the techs. He twirled around as if in play and lashed out at the man with his electric tail which sent a jolt of energy straight threw the guy and he tumbled to the floor. Jax was on him in an instant and snapped his teeth over the man's gullet, crushing his windpipe. He couldn't help but let out a howl of victory before looking up to his next match. To his dismay, none other than Thorn rounded the corner.

"Put your shield down," David ordered, seeing that there was no other alternative.

Sasha gave him a hard, no. "You'll be taken down."

"We're all going to be taken down," he growled, finally pushing the girl aside to break the barricade. He grabbed Sage by the collar of his shirt and began to pull him back to the door that he knew the Frogs and Dwayne were hidden behind. "Paul, let's go, bring her with you!"

Paul had no clue, but continued to stand against the wall like a dark silhouette staring into space. "Gotta get myself some grub," he mumbled.

Sasha clenched her fists. "Paul needs blood! I can't give him any while we're out here like this!"

"Listen lady, I'm giving the orders you got that? Now get back here so we can get them in this room. Then you're going to help me get close enough to those science junkies to take them out. Is that clear?"

Marko placed Serenity in the darkest niche he could find of what still seemed to be the dungeon. He had enough energy to change face and take on Max from drinking her blood, but she was zapped of strength.

He kissed her forehead before taking flight back up the stairs in a rage and met Max half way. Their bodies collided in an attack meant for death to one another. Marko took a fast swipe at Max's throat, but the head vampire was too fast and dodged the mark, leaving him with nothing but a scratch. He counteracted the blow as well by seizing Marko's neck and held him out for a brief second before tossing him into the brick.

Marko faltered and fell, catching himself mid-air before crashing into the steps. The hit did little to faze him and he was up in the air again, this time grabbing Max by his feet. It took almost all his strength, but he managed to swing the head vampire around and send him flying backwards, straight over the heads of his employees. There was a loud crack as he hit the wall and a long seem shot straight up through the drywall.

Marko held himself over his knees for a moment to catch a breath. Even though he couldn't see it, the sun was beating him down. He would have little time to recover before Max was up and at him again. "Fuck!" he grumbled under his breath. _David, where the hell are you?_

David got Marko's call as he finally managed to kick the door open. The room was silent for a moment before he heard Edgar mumble something in the dark. "We should see who it is," he said.

"You boys mind if Paul and Sage hang out with you in here for a while?" David chuckled and heaved Sage into the room, along with his crucifix. It slid easily across the floor with some urging from the toe of David's boot.

"Oh shit, it's David." Alan said, emerging from behind the desk. "Hey, your guy over there needs…" he cringed. "Blood."

David ignored him as Sasha gently hurried Paul in. "Need to get me some grub," Paul said, staring blankly at Alan.

"What's the matter with him?" Alan asked, looking Sasha up and down. "Who the hell are you?"

"Sit tight boys. We'll be back in a minute," David told him and slammed the door.

By this time, Thorn and Jax were head to head with fangs bared. The hellhound had every intention of overthrowing Jax. He was well accustomed to the smell of power enhanced blood, just as Jax could sniff out the scent of death on the over aged, yet youthful looking dog. He looked the marauder right in the eye before springing off all fours, his mouth gaping and reaching out for Thorns neck. He hit his target straight on sinking his teeth into the white fur of the dog and willed all the rest of the energy into the hound.

Thorn braced himself for the bite and easily shook Jax off with barely a whimper, which surprised the wolf, and he darted back for an instant to recalculate his advances. Thorn took this opportunity to attack and he did, instead of going for the neck, he grabbed a hold of Jax's foreleg and pulled him out from underneath himself, while ripping apart flesh and bone. A raucous yelp bellowed down the hallway as Jax fought to take back his leg.

Max was on his feet again and he grabbed a dart from one of his assistants. He took after Marko, who had just made it halfway back up the stairs, while David and Sasha were now in hot pursuit of the remaining techs.

"How long do you want me to keep this up?" Sasha asked as they moved forward. "They'll eventually run out of those darts, but they still have the tasers."

David smirked. "You really think I'm afraid of four humans with taser guns?" She gave him a dirty look. "Don't worry about me princess. What I want is for you to try and get between Max and Marko."

Marko saw Max approaching and contemplated his next move. There were only two choices, up in the air, or down and back. If he went back, he would lead Max closer to Serenity, but he also knew there wasn't any way of defeating the head vampire if strength alone was used. This would be a matter of wits and flexibility. So, he took to the air. As soon as he saw Max follow, he dove for the ground, only this time a couple feet closer to Max. A few seconds later, the head vampire dipped down after him, and Marko was back up in the air again, taking in another few feet to close the gap between them.

"Now just what are you trying to do boy?" Max finally asked. "I think it's past time you learned to have some respect for your elders." Marko didn't speak. Instead he looked impishly down at him with his arms folded and his legs crossed as he hovered in the air.

Max waited a few more seconds for good measure, now fully aware of what kind of game Marko was playing and made for the ceiling, only this time he stopped halfway, just as the fledging crossed his path. In a rather swift manner, he lunged for the younger vampire, clenching the dart in his right hand. But Marko was fast enough. He had learned a few tricks of his own over the years and he ducked below the hit, doing a somersault in the air. He kicked up at Max's hand as he rolled around which sent the other vampire off balance for a brief second. The only problem then was that Max was the one closest to Serenity.

Marko laughed contemptuously to get Max's attention and rile him up a bit. "You're getting slow old man. Maybe you should consider retirement," he taunted.

Max seethed in rage and roared out as his claws came up in a sick contorted and twisted way. It was bad enough Marko had taken away the girls purity and marked her up and down, but now he mocked him as well. He was on him instantaneously with a direct blow to his abdomen, his claws finding flesh as they sank in below the surface before the younger vampire had a chance to elude the elder. He gasped and pulled away but not before Max had the chance to nail him with the tranquilizer dart.

Up above, David had his hands full as the four remaining lab techs rushed him. Sasha was safe behind her little barricade, but he was forced to fight naked, dashing here and there and all around in a matter of seconds to confuse the lab rats, who twirled around helplessly as he knocked them down one by one.

Sasha hurried to the stairs when she saw Marko in a terrible way. He was unconscious and bleeding from the deep wound just below his rib cage. She kneeled down before him and watched for Max, but it seemed that he had disappeared into the blackness.

"What are you doing Sasha?" David barked. "Why don't you take some of your own advice and go get the girl!"

The overzealous scientists behind him used his momentary distraction to their advantage and plunged one of their taser guns straight into his back. His fangs clamped down over his bottom teeth from the zing and he teetered forward before another one of the guns was jammed into his jugular. His eyes all but rolled to the back of his head as he fell to the ground.

Sasha's eyes went wide and she hopped up in a haste to get to him before they did, but it was too late. The team swarmed in around him. Before she could take another step, a hand came down over her mouth covering it with some type of gauze. She tried not to inhale, but it was eventually inevitable, and soon she too faded into some kind of sleep state.


	21. Destiny

Deep in the belly of the New Life building, known to any other soul as the basement, there sat two, a vampire and a human not quite ordinary.

After the assault upstairs, David and Sasha had been thrown into lock down deep inside the dank, gray pit, but the only thing in David's way was the heavy wooden door made of heavy steel and iron and drenched in Holy water. Sasha on the other hand, had been bound in rope and placed in a chair. She looked rather pathetic sitting there, twitching now and then in an attempt to get the ropes loose. It was amusing to watch as the Lost Boy lay there across from her, propped against big bags of sand as he listened to the water from the ceiling drip, fall and splash against the retched floor. It was dark in this place and smelled of earth and mildew. Yes, he preferred the dwelling of a cave, but this place was sheer filth and from the looks of it most of what the employees tossed away came to rest down here. It surprised him that it didn't smell more of death and decay.

Sasha made another move just as he crossed his hands over his chest and he glanced over at her once more. The cloth mouth piece she chewed moved and he could tell she was trying to speak to him, more out of anger than anything, most likely because he was free and wouldn't move a finger to help her out of the ropes that held her against her will. "Maybe I will as soon as I can feel my feet." He turned his head nonchalantly back to the ceiling, watching a rodent of some sort make its way overhead in the darkness. She huffed and fussed, moving her body from side to side as best she could until the chair began to squeak and creak as if it were about to break. This brought a smirk to David's face, and he turned again to look upon the deep crevice that had formed right in the middle of her eyebrows. "But first I want to know what you did to Paul up there. How's that for a deal? Your freedom for the truth."

The chair stopped moving and there was silence, and David let it go on for about ten minutes more until he finally rose to a sitting position. The taser had really done a number on him, unlike most ordinary human devices. Leave it to Max to create such a gadget that would bring vampires of his own kind to their faces, flat on the floor. He knew that soon enough his sire would be by to collect each of them. Sasha was a guarantee marked for death and if this vampire wanted answers, he needed to move fast before it was too late. His boots made a scuffing sound over the floor as he pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to the girl. She eyed him sideways, defiance painted in the dark brown of her pupils, even as David yanked the cloth from her lips. It hung in a wet mess over her chin before it slipped down around her neck and she adjusted as if to get the horrid taste out of her mouth, but when David paused, she looked right back up at him. "That frown on your forehead is going to be permanent if you keep looking at me like that. Now who's got the upper hand?" He asked, moving within inches of her face to devour her indignation with just the power of his cold, blue eyes. "Now tell me what you did."

"I…" she began, but let the rest out through her nose in the form of air as her lips pursed ever so slightly. Her eyes softened as she looked down, thinking of a way to explain her situation without setting the vampire off. "I was only trying to protect him. It's a new gift I've been working on, the power of the mind, empathy and manipulation. Would you like to know why?" There was a twist in her voice and just as soon as her eyes turned thoughtful, there was break and her lips pursed even more as if she knew something that David didn't.

David growled and lunged at her with his fangs bared. "Don't play with me little girl. You might be part of the team, but not enough for me to give a rat's ass about whether you live or die. Now tell me what I want to know or your death sentence will come faster by my hand."

"Yes, but Paul cared. He cared enough to save me. Get me out of that room, and in return I just let him slip into something similar to a high. A dazed high, and you know he was safer in that room. It's not fair, all that Serenity has. She has the four of you and all these powers while the rest of us sit and protect and fight for her. All I want is something of my own, and since Paul is obviously not…" she paused and looked up at him, not a sliver of fear in her eyes or her expression. The higher ups didn't want this one knowing the truth and she'd almost let it slip.

"Not what?" His everlasting cool was waning all because this girl took it upon herself to mess with one of his boys, and if anything outraged David more, it was something that interfered with his pack. He looked deep into her eyes and did a quick scan of her mind but found nothing, nothing but black, as if wool had been pulled over her brain to keep the thoughts inside and keep intruders out. His lips curled back further over his fangs and he took hold of her wrist, letting his claws sink into the flesh. Pinpoints of her blood rose to the surface and he reveled in the way she made a pained sound. "Times a ticking away princess."

"There are some things…David, that you're not meant to know. Please…you're hurting me." She whimpered and caught his eyes, pushing into his mind with a rather violent shove as she tried to use her power of empathy on him. Maybe if he could feel what she was feeling, he would let her go, but since she was unpracticed, it did nothing but send him into a rage. He kept his hold on her and used his free hand to slap her across the face. The impact left her reeling as she was now sporting four deep slits across her cheek. Her shield was the obvious answer to get him away from her, but what good would it do if she was still tied and couldn't get free by the time Max arrived? She squealed just a soon as she saw his hand about to come again. "Fine! Fine! I'll tell you. Though how you don't already know is beyond me. I mean you must have some idea, or why would you have taken Serenity's thoughts from her so long ago?" She paused but David didn't move to answer her. Instead he kept his pose, ready to strike if she fed him more bullshit. "Marko is not her soul mate, Paul is. I don't know why they put them together or forced it. That's something they won't tell me, but it was put into motion and that's the way it has to be for all our sakes. You understand? But it makes sense, in a way, because he saved me. It's a sign. He and I, we could be meant for each other now. The times have changed and…"

Before she could get another word out, David had his fangs deep in her throat. The nonsense and secrets had driven him into a raging madness and now it was time to end it. Deeper and deeper his teeth sank as if to leave his mark on her, but it was the blood he sought out. It was as sweet as Serenity's and just as pure, but he could tell that in time, this little angel would be doing the devil's work for her own intents and purposes. Not only that, but secrets were not something he was fond of. He had kept enough of them for Max and in turn Max had kept everything from him, given him lies upon lies and now this. No way would he let one of his own fall into a love trap and be enslaved because one person wanted it that way.

Sasha felt the pull on her body and she felt the pull of her blood straight from the heart as David drank deep, working to drain her to the point of no return and at last she felt the fear inside rise again as she was powerless to stop him. Her only hope was to use the power of her shield if she wanted to live another day and night. She had plans for her abilities, and she had plans for her favorite Lost Boy and no one was going to stop her. The force was immediate as she closed her eyes and sent the energy out, pushing David away as fast as he had attacked her. It took him by surprise as he stumbled back on his feet, but didn't fall. "I wish I could say I was sorry for this outcome, but I'm not. Everything happens for a reason, David. Who's to say Paul won't take to me? Who's to say that destiny can't be changed? Are we not trying to change it tonight? The outcome of this war has Serenity on her death bed, at least for a little while since we all know she regenerates. After that her life will be bran new, and so will mine. This pack might be yours, but you don't own them, unless you condemn your boys to loneliness without a mate."

The cool calm that David was famous for had finally returned due to the small amount of nourishment he had managed to consume from her and he stood before the shield with his hands in fists as he listened to her babble. His stare never left hers and when she was done he smirked and licked his lips clean of any leftover blood. Sasha might have had her nifty little trick up her sleeve, but she was also naïve in thinking David didn't have a few of his own. For someone who had come on so strong in the hallway above and went to extremes to correct him, she had forgotten one thing about these vampires; they were handy with the mind. One look is all it took and suddenly she was under his spell. "Don't be so sure about that, Sasha. I have a feeling that ending you here and now will be better than letting you get any stronger. Manipulation is a powerful thing, but I'll be damned if I let you do that to Paul. He's the youngest of us, and still has a few things to learn. Now, drop the shield."

The girl all but bit her tongue as her mouth snapped shut and her power dissipated, drawing back the shield altogether. As soon as it was gone, David rushed forward and grabbed her again. His fangs dropped and he bit into the other side of her delicate neck, gripping her wrist. Not only did blood appear from his bite, but also at the site where his nails dug into her skin. Little did he realize that while he was going at her with all the fury and loathing one vampire could possibly have, his claws were slicing through the rope that held her wrists in place. All he cared for was her blood and nothing more. There was something magnetic in these creatures, whatever they might be, humans with gifts or something more. Either way it didn't matter until her heart began to slow to the point he could barely feel it anymore.

It was in that moment he decided to leave her on the brink of death and tore his mouth away, stepping back to let her head bobble and fall forward against her chest. "We'll see if you come back from this, and then I'll look forward to sparring with you. But the way I see it is, Max is on his way and princess, I doubt he'll give a shit about whether you live or die in this hellhole, because as you know, you were marked for death already."

Max was on his way. In fact, just as soon as David finished his sentence, he could hear the footsteps, but not his makers. No, Max almost always walked in silence. The sound came from his employees and he could tell it took four of them jus to get the door open.

"Greetings." David welcomed them with a sharp middle finger and stepped back behind the chair, folding his arms behind his back while wearing that ever-familiar smirk of his. Curtis was the first through and looked as confident as ever as his followers pushed through the door and stood on either side of it, while Max was the last in line. Like David, he had his hands behind his back and had to duck to get under the frame.

"Well I'm glad to see your nature hasn't completely left you, David." His tone was calm but direct and he gave his fledgling a pointed look before he stepped forward to examine Sasha. "Curtis, let's move her back upstairs, hmm? Give her a nice, comfortable bed to sleep on, with restraints of course. And David…you're coming with me. You see? Everything is working out as planned.

"But sir, how will I assist you if I'm holding this girl?" Curtis asked, already at Sasha's side, working to get the ropes off her wrists. She was limp and a bit pale from loss of blood, so it was easy to push her about and get her in the right position as his fellow workers gathered around and placed her on a gurney. The answer came to him right away and he held up one finger, shaking it with amusement. "Forget I asked that, sir. She'll be placed in a more suitable room right away. We'll catch up, don't you worry."

"I'm not worried, Curtis. I'm not worried in the least." Max let out a low, yet horrifying laugh as he neared David and placed a hand on his shoulder. His stance was overbearing as he towered over his fledgling, but his demeanor took change rather quickly back to pleasant and he nudged David along. "Come now, time is wasting."


	22. Out of Touch, Out of Time

"_They're coming you know."_

_Howie sat in the corner of the room with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap, looking intently over at Serenity, questioning her next move. Only this time, his apparition appeared normal and not like some dead, ghastly carcass. "You really don't have much time. Why are you still sitting here?" He chuckled almost sarcastically. "I thought for sure that you could figure this out. I mean, we've had our differences, but still, if this is how it's going to be for the rest of my damned eternity…you might as well start listening to me."_

_Serenity had her knees up in front of her, her arms stretched out over them as if she had lost the use of her hands, and her head drooped down as she tried to look around the room. It was padded from top to bottom in white. Everything was fuzzy to her and Howie's form waved in and out like an elastic illusion._

_"Ma-rko?" her voice rasped over the words barely getting them out. She blinked and cleared her throat. "Marko?" she said again, this time a little more clearly._

_"What do you see in that guy anyways?" Howie asked, leaning forward a bit._

_Serenity batted her eyelashes not to amuse. She wanted to tell him to fuck off, but her lips were dry and it felt like her mouth had been hung open for hours. She wasn't sure if she could get the words out._

_"Oh right," Howie carried on. "He's your supposed long lost soul mate, and also a vampire, which just adds so much extra charm, don't you think?"_

_Finally able to shut her mouth and wet it a little, Serenity turned to him with obvious distaste. "You're very bitter for a dead guy." Her tone managed to sound half offensive, even if it only came out in the form of another whisper._

_"Well what do you expect? I'm bound forever to be a slave, stuck in the world of dreams. Mostly, to get you to open up your eyes."_

_"I guess that's the price you have to pay for being a back stabbing son of a bitch. I'm surprised you're not talking in riddles," Serenity shot back at him. The anger in her expression alone made up for the lack of volume in her voice._

_Howie remained complacent despite her words and he still retained the carefree appearance he had had in life. "Ah forget it. I mean, what's the point? Now you're in here with no way out, and the chances are high that you will die tonight," he said this overly cheery as he shook his finger at her._

_Serenity wanted to care. Her body made a move to be scared after hearing that, but the drugs in her system kept her still and her head throbbed for a moment from the exertion. "If I'm dreaming, than where am I really? Where's Marko?"_

_"Oh you're in here alright." He chuckled softly again as if he were amused by her predicament. "But I can't see him. Only you." He stuck his lower lip out at her instead of saying boo-hoo._

_"Get out," she barked, having had enough of his smart assed comments._

_"Oh but, I haven't given you my infinite knowledge yet, oh great one." He got up on his knees and held his hands together like he was about to break out in prayer, or possibly ask for forgiveness._

_"I said get out." Her voice was quiet and she didn't bother to look at him. The mocking only made her angrier and there wasn't much she could do in the state of being numbed to the core from whatever foul concoction Max had thought up. Besides that, she much more preferred the riddles he usually had to offer._

_Howie finally looked a little overcome and he sighed. "If you insist, but, just so you know, any second now someone will be entering this room. I suggest you get up and fight them off in any way you can to get out of here."_

_Serenity didn't say anything. She had no idea how to take someone out while half buzzed on drugs, but she had done it once before to Howie himself and another guy. If she could just clear her head and think straight, she might have a chance to do it again. A couple minutes later there came a clicking sound from just outside the door. Serenity turned to question Howie about it, but he was gone._

She felt the clamminess of rubber gloves clamp down around the upper part of her arms and she twisted as she was lifted off the floor. No longer in the dream state, she found that her actions were undoubtedly clearer, even with the drugs in her system. Instinct pushed her to react and she brought her foot up violently, giving her captor a swift kick to the groin. There was a low groan and her arms were released as the masked assailant staggered back and fell to the floor.

The room itself was still a blur, but Serenity knew she only had a moment to escape and pressed herself against the wall to use it as a guide to reach the door. If only there had been windows in this God forsaken shit hole, she might have been able to reach up into the sun and get some of her sight back, rather than the obscure tunnel vision.

She finally made it to the door and fell through it, out into the hallway, smacking her palms down on the cold floor. Every muscle in her body quivered as they tried to obey her urgent commands to get up and keep moving. Time was running out, as she could hear other lab assistants coming down the hall. The next room over was her only option of escape at that moment, so she clumsily crawled to the door and reached up with both hands to grab the handle and give it a desperate, violent twist.

The door flew open and she fell into the room, landing with a grunt on her left side. Without bothering to look around, she eagerly scooted out of the way and gave it a swift kick to get it closed again.

"Dam," she panted, exhausted and content to lie there for a moment.

The room was awkwardly silent, but bright as the day, and the chill from the floor kept her from nodding off once again. But something else inside her was reaching out, tugging at her heart strings the way it did when Marko was near. She balked and gulped down the bubble in her throat, fearful of what she might rise up and see. Even her heart managed to thump overly loud as she pushed herself up, and scanned the room for bodies.

To her surprise, she had fallen in at Marko's feet. The tips of his boots pointed towards the ceiling and he sat in a chair, his hands bound to its arms, and the pleasant look of sleep drawn across his face.

Her mouth fell open as she staggered to him, running her hands up his thighs and up to pull his jacket apart. His wounds had healed already; there wasn't a mark on him. She blinked in confusion and managed to somewhat stand, running her fingers along his jaw line. "Marko…wake up," she whispered.

Frantic, her eyes welled with tears and she reached down to undo the ropes that held his hands, but when that didn't stir him, she all but huddled into his chest. Her mind was numb, she couldn't think. Was it even possible to rouse a sleeping vampire without some form of harm? Blood, was the answer that quickly flooded her mind, and she desperately searched the chair for possible sharp edges.

She found a screw on its underside and prayed it would work as she violently raked her wrist across it with a high-pitched screech, as a sharp pain raced up her arm. She held it up to Marko's cold lips, hoping the scent alone would rouse him if nothing else, as most of her blood was running down his chin and onto his chest. "Please…please wake up," she begged.

His body twitched and his head jerked forward as his lips parted and latched onto her wrist. Serenity gulped again and nodded several times, unable to find the right words to say, yes, keep going and wake up. She could feel him urging the blood out of her and a slight dizziness took over, but at the same time it was lessoning the drugs and her vision cleared.

A few seconds later, Marko reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his mouth. His eyes slowly opened and he blinked away their amber color. "Serenity," he whispered, rising up in the chair to look around. "How did we get in here?" He licked the remainder of her blood off his lips and searched his chest for the wounds he remembered acquiring before everything went black, but they were gone.

He shook his head trying to remember and realized that she now lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. He shot out of the chair and carefully picked her up, feeling fully revived and nothing of the drugs that had run through her system. "I'm taking you out of here."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere," Came a voice from behind that had been watching the whole time. "I have to say, Serenity, that I admire your pluck. Which is precisely one of the reasons I chose you. A true fighter till the end."

Marko growled with her in his arms and turned to face Max, his eyes blazing. "You will let me have her!"

"Well, you see, as unfortunate as it is to break up your little love spell, I just can't do that. I have my mind set on this town, and that's just the way it has to be. You still have a lot to learn boy."

At that moment, several men burst through the door with tasers and stabbed Marko in the back with them, sending him to his knees. Regardless, he held Serenity tight. "You son of a bitch!" he whaled.

"There, there," Max cooed as cold as ice while one of his men pried Serenity from Marko's arms. "Here begins the lesson."

In another room of the building, Jax finally came to. With a low whimper, he rolled up onto his side to lick his wounds in an attempt to alleviate the pain in his foreleg that reverberated through his entire body. He had lost track of time in the brawl, but had finally overthrown Thorn. Now the hound of hell was nowhere to be seen. In fact, his sudden disappearance caused Jax to stop tending to his injury and look up all around in the stillness brought on by the day. He wasn't in that hallway anymore. He lay at the foot of what looked like a doctors examination table. There were carts and trays throughout the room laden with tools for what he only guessed to be experiments, tests, and operations. Two glass windows separated this room from another just above and to the left of the exam table, and across from where he lay was a cabinet and shelves lined with even more medical paraphernalia. The room was also void of any light other than a few small ones that radiated out from just underneath the cabinets.

He let a big yawn overtake him and stretched his paws out, yipping in pain as the skin pulled at his deep lacerations. Perhaps, he thought, it would be better to transform back to his human side. Even though it wouldn't heal him, it was much easier to get a charge of energy by sticking his fingers into sockets, rather than trying to stick a paw in one.

He groaned again in defeat, knowing that the others must have been taken, and doubted any of them had been thrown into the same holding spot. So he decided to lie still for a few more minutes until the hollow sound of footsteps headed towards the outside of the door forced him to rise and take his proper shape. It was even harder to stand on two legs, as Thorn had obviously chomped down on him in a few other places, and he staggered around for a second, trying to get a glimpse of where the outlets in the room were situated. Finally, he managed to steady himself against the white wall, smearing his blood across it.

His keen ears heard the key enter the door and twist the lock. "Oh, you've made a big mistake you bastards," he whispered with a hiss, staring daggers at the door as it squeaked open to a crack.

Not one, but two men, one behind the other, slowly entered the room, dressed in off blue surgical gowns, complete with caps and masks that hung below their chins. At first they peered down at the spot where Jax should have been, their hands in the air as if they had just scrubbed up for an operation, and then around the room. He could tell by the squinting of their eyes that their vision had not yet adjusted to the dimly lit room, which meant they were still human.

"Too bad," Jax finally spoke up. "Little lambs who've lost their way." He inched down the wall without taking his eyes off the two men until he felt the cold shell of the electrical outlet with the tips of his fingers. "Ya really aren't that bright, you know. And I can guarantee that at least one…or the both of ya are about to have a really bad day."

He held his injured arm close to his chest and bore his fingers into the socket, giving the two men a hardcore wink before the room lit up. Instead of using his bad arm to send the surge flying this time, it came from his feet, sizzling across the floor like some sci-fi flick. The two scientists took one look at the lightening streaks headed towards them and gasped, each tripping over the other to get away and out the door. But the charge was faster and it caught them with a snap, sending the two flying through the air in a slight circle before they each landed with a lifeless thud on the cold floor.

Satisfied that they were finished, Jax quickly pulled away from the outlet and fell to his knees huffing and puffing, and praying that no more were to come. He knew he had enough energy now to zap a few more if needed, but he would have rather conserved that extra jolt for the journey out of the room.

The hours had slowly slipped by in the now silent room that occupied two sleeping vampires, one unconscious boy, a dead werewolf, and two slayers. Two slayers who sat against the wall under the chalkboard with their arms wrapped around their knees. Every now and then one of them would rub his chin on one arm and try to adjust so that sleep would not overtake him. But neither said a word in the darkness. They had left Sage sprawled out in front of the door after several attempts to wake him. It was no use, and his cross did little to light the room. In fact, the only thing it managed to do was send Edgar into a fit of rage for not being able to work it properly.

Paul had crawled over beside Dwayne in the corner of the room, and now they slept in the traditional pose with both arms crossed protectively over their chests, and the corpse of the werewolf still occupied the desk. Alan had found an old flag in one of its drawers to cover up her delicate, bare features. He worried a little about the vampires waking. They would be famished, and the hunters had no weapons.

In fact, he caught his own stomach growling. When was the last time they had eaten anything? Had it been the night before, or the morning after? He couldn't remember. The days and nights were all melded together in his mind now. If only he had packed some of the beef jerky they stocked in their weapons room back at the comic book shop. It worked wonders for those long hunting nights out when they were unable to grab a bite to eat under cover. And what about David? Was Edgar actually following his order?

He tilted his head towards Edgar, still resting it on his arm. "Are we really waiting here for David to come back?" he asked quietly, out of curiosity, with no offending tone. The day Edgar took commands from a night stalker might as well have been the day it rained toads.

"First of all, I don't take orders from the undead; never have, never will. But he put two of his own in here, which tells me that's it's a hell of a lot safer in here than going out there. We'll give it another hour and then move. That's about when the sun'll be going down." Edgar told him, not bothering to whisper.

Alan frowned in the dark. "How do you know?" The two had been sitting in the same spot for over eight hours and not once did Edgar get up to peek under the animal skins still stapled over the window.

Edgar was silent for a moment, but Alan could tell he was drilling holes through him with his eyes. "I can smell these things," he declared.

Before Alan could call his bluff, there came a light scratching at the door. Both of the teens turned their heads, squinting through the dark trying to find the outline of the doorframe. "Sounds like an animal," Alan said, rising up on his knees.

"Quiet," Edgar demanded, raising a hand to clarify the order. "Whatever it is, it doesn't need to know we're in here."

"Arrggh!" Jax gurgled just outside the door as he worked to get the lock open. Why was it that he could never undo any of his own inventions, he thought, when he knew perfectly well that a vampire had opened it just fine? He jiggled it some more and finally gave the inconspicuous act up. "Dam it to hell!" he yelled, barging through the door and flicking the lights on in one swift swoop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Edgar raged, jumping up from his spot. "Turn the lights off or they'll wake up!" He pointed frantically around at the sleeping bodies.

"Abso-bloody-lutely! That's what we need them to do mate," Jax declared, reaching down to give Sage a firm slap across the face. "Wake up man…bloody wake up!"

Edgar hurried over to shut the door. "Have you lost your dam mind? You're going to alert every goon on the property and let them know we're in here!"

"I hate to tell ya this, but the sun's going down guys. We don't have much time," Jax replied. "Now, help me get them up." He gave Sage another smack across the cheek.

Sage shook his head a little and growled. "Stop hitting me!" he hissed through clenched teeth. Without Jax noticing, he reached up with his cross and smacked it down on the shift-shapers wound.

Jax let out a howl. "For the love of all things Holy!" he exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Sage took the cross away from Jax's arm and sat up with a smile. The wounds were now nicely healed. "Would you rather be cut open?" he asked.

Jax only grunted and looked away shaking his head.

"So," Sage continued, "The vampires need blood, I need a volunteer."

"You're completely whacked," Edgar told him. "There's no way in hell that me or my brother are going to offer ourselves to one of those suck monkeys!"

"Well I hate to say it but, I'm not enough and Jax can't do it because he's just been healed. They can't have dead werewolf, so that leaves one of you two." Sage smiled thoughtfully as he got off the floor. "Oh come on, one of you has to give up the juice. Who's it gonna be?"

Alan let his guard down and shuffled over to Sage. "Hell, I'll do it. But I swear if you guys tell anyone about this, I'll hunt you down."

Jax looked taken aback. "Wha' ya don't trust us? Come on my friend, your secret is safe with me."

Edgar grabbed at his hair and shook his head in anger. "No Alan…I'll do it. I'm the head Frog here after all." He marched over to where the two vampires slept, glaring at Jax as he passed him, and kneeled beside Paul. "There should be a stake in this fiend's chest!"

"Watch your mouth," Sage warned, lifting his hand to Dwayne's mouth. "Or they'll hear you and drain you dry." He took the tip of his crucifix and made a small slit down his vein and tossed it to Edgar, who hesitated for a moment from his warning, but made the cut anyway. The others gathered around with peeked curiosity to watch the show.

"Well this is something I never thought I'd live to see," Alan stated, shoving his hands in his pockets as Paul and Dwayne clamped down on their offerings.

"Jax be ready," Sage said. "In case these guys decide to go overboard, we'll need your prying fingers."

Edgar looked about ready to pass out as Paul sucked away at his wrist. "You alright man?" Jax asked him.

"Christ," he murmured. "This goes against everything I believe in." He was about to pass out when the grip on his arm suddenly gave way and looked up to see Paul frowning at him.

"Thanks a lot bud. You just ruined my high." He bounced off the floor and circled the room, giving the werewolf a once over with his eyes. "Nice," he commented. "Where in the hell are we? I feel like I've been in a coma or something."

"Uh well…technically, you have," Sage told him as Jax carefully began to pry Dwayne's teeth away from his wrist.

"Wait a second, are you telling me that those banshee bitches scrambled my noodle?" Paul asked, innocently taking a seat beside the werewolf to reminisce. "I remember snacking on some fine Asian food…let's see…then we found the control room…and that's about it."

"Paul, shut the hell up," Dwayne grumbled, finally getting up. "Nobody here cares."

"Dam…it's good to see you again too bro," Paul said with a scowl and a flip of the bird.

"Yeah…uh, your welcome," Edgar smarted as the dark brooder of the bunch made his way over to the window and started to rip down the animal pelts. "Umm, what are you doing?"

Dwayne looked back at Edgar for one second and then continued working. "It's time to go. Max is already on his way to the beach with the others."

"How do you know?" Sage asked, stepping up closer to see the street below. The sun had just set, leaving a faint bluish shadow over everything including the dark asphalt.

"A little birdie told me," he glowered. "Come on, we'll fly you down one at a time."

"Well if Max is gone, why can't we just go out the normal way?" Edgar asked, preferring not to be anywhere near any more vampires for quite awhile.

Paul danced up to him and purposely put an arm around his shoulder. "Because he's got guys scooping the joint out for us, little bud."

Edgar glared. "That's casing the joint death breath. You guys ever consider brushing your teeth?" He shoved Paul's arm away and marched over to the window. "Look, we came in without getting caught, I'm sure we could go out the exact same way."

"What are we now in grade school?" Jax asked. "We're all afraid to touch each other…get little cootie critters? Come on." He put his hands on his hips and looked to Dwayne. "Maybe you wouldn't mind giving us the courtesy of telling us how you know all this new info, mate."

"David told me. He's with them. Now, are we going to stand around here bitching like little woman, or are we going to go?"

."Oh bugger me! I'll go first," Jax offered stepping out the window. A few seconds later he landed square on his feet, using his hands for support and jumped back up like a cat, giving Dwayne a thumbs up from below.

Alan was the next to go, and Paul flew down with him and was back up in an instant for Edgar, who held tightly to his backpack as they descended to the pavement below.  
Dwayne and Sage were the last two out and none too soon as the door to the classroom flew open. "There they are!" But both the boys were gone and out before any flying fatality could strike them.


	23. Ritual

The lights on the boardwalk suddenly fluttered alive again from some invisible electric current, and after having been shut down for several days and nights, they sent a radiant glow over the beachfront where Max and his horde gathered. They filed in and around a large platform that sat a few feet from the summer bandstand, looking as though they were about to start some form of worship, as the electric rides buzzed and ever so slowly began to move. It seemed as though ghosts and ghouls were working the mechanics of the operation as no human bodies were present, and even the music had an eerie, whiny tune as it too gradually started to hum.

Only some of the red sludge still remained from the down pour of blood, most of it clinging to roof tops and in the nooks and cranny's that the people who dared clean it up couldn't reach. As for the sand, the grime had melted away from it like snow melts in the sun, with the exception of a few traces of it here and there.

"Bring our girl forward, will you please?" Max asked with delight as he studied his surroundings. "It's a beautiful night don't you think?"

"And hopefully from here on out," Curtis commented, standing with his hands behind his back as he turned to give David a wry smile.

David didn't look at the young man. He didn't have to, to know that his smarts would get the best of him in the end. "There's always a price," he said simply when Max moved away. "Just remember that when the reaper comes around." He waited for a moment and then boldly reached deep into Curtis's coat pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes. He flipped the packet open and fished out a smoke. "Got a light?"

Curtis all but jumped a moment to late as he glared back at the vampire. "This is why Max is the one who will rule over all," he sneered, quickly tearing his cigarettes away rather childish.

"You know you shouldn't smoke," David continued as though Curtis's words meant very little to him, before producing a lighter somewhere out of thin air. He pursed his lips as he lit the cancer stick and inhaled the first smoke deep, before letting it out, sending a nonchalant look to Curtis. "It's bad for your health."

Curtis squirmed in annoyance as he found that no matter what seemed to be going on around them, David kept his cool. "Don't you even realize what's happening you stupid son of a bitch?"

"Sure, you and your little buddies are about to summon up Armageddon, while a member of _my_ family is being held against his will." David pointed towards the platform where Marko stood with his hands bound behind his back.

Curtis flapped his hands around wildly in front of him. "It's not about Armageddon you silly little man!"

"Vampire!"

"Whatever! It's about bringing forth a power you can't even imagine! And that brat boy of yours broke the rules. He tainted the key! He deserves to die in my opinion." Satisfied with that last remark, Curtis gave a pleased smile and crossed his arms. He hadn't counted on David's reaction and soon found himself face to face with the vampire, struggling to take a breath as David's hands choked the life out of him.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with here." Even though the rage pronounced itself clearly through David's eyes, he still talked with a calm demeanor. "Would you like me to paint a picture for you? It's a lot bloodier from my point of view." His last few words cracked as they slipped past his lips, even though he fought hard to keep his control. He hated to think that the reality of it was that he had no plan of action. He didn't know how to stop this thing or if Max did intend to kill Marko.

All Curtis could do was hang there, his feet dangling, not even an inclination of thought moving through his simple mind to reach up with his foot and nail David in the groin. All he could manage was a simple twist of his head in an attempt to get Max's attention.

The head vampire, so he called himself, was preoccupied at the moment. He watched intently as some of his crew carried Serenity forward. There seemed to be an invisible circle around the area on the beach where Max stood with his arms folded, scratching his chin. He kept watching as Serenity was lifted up onto the platform his workers had created, and then fiddled with his lips as they tied her arms above her head. He made a small thoughtful sound as her chin fell to her chest. "Ok boys, now…wake her up."

"But siiir," Curtis gurgled, as a few of the men adjusted the last of the ropes around her ankles. "Shouldn' we fis the elements fist?" His face was now a bright red, almost purple as David continued to squeeze the life out of him.

Max made another pensive sound. "Hmm, yes, good thinking. Have them brought around, but do hurry. Remember, we're on a time schedule here." He glanced back at his employee and nearly knocked his glasses off. "David! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

David didn't say anything, but sat the human down, letting him fall choking to the ground.

Curtis sputtered and fumbled around, gripping his neck with both hands as he coughed madly, but still managed to snap his fingers, signaling four other white coats, each of them holding one of the four elements. To the North representing the Earth, a dish of fresh soil was placed gently into the sand. Then to the East for air, three small incense sticks were lit and their pointy ends shoved deep into the ground. To the South for fire, the wick of a large red candle was ignited as it sat proudly on a small stool, and finally to the West for water, one of the men filled a small goblet to the brim.

Marko's mind was still partially jumbled from the electric shock therapy Max had blindsided him with, but regardless, he still followed these events with his eyes, always aware of what was happening with Serenity. His pupils were rimmed in that red fire that came before the change, but that's all he allowed to show as he watched the men and women around her shove something under her nose. Her head jerked and she turned away from it, but was forced to follow the hand that kept it directly under her nostrils. It caused her to make a sour face as she blinked her eyes open.

"Get…off…me," she protested drowsily, trying to get an idea of her whereabouts. But with all the hands poking and prodding all around her, it was hard to see.

"She said get off 'er!" Marko barked, and twisted his hands in an attempt to break the ropes. They burned and cut into his flesh as he realized they were drenched in Holy water.

"No one asked you!" one of the staff barked, delivering an unneeded, swift kick to Marko's gut. It did little in terms of pain, but caught the vampire off guard and sent him forward, forcing him to the ground. "Mark my words, you'll pay for your treachery by the end of the night," the guy spat in his ear.

Marko said nothing. He refused to give the guy any satisfaction in thinking that he had won a dominant role of power over him. The only one who could ever do that was David, and he looked at him almost bitterly. He knew his sire had no plan. He was stuck; they were both stuck, and their only hope lay in the hands of the others who had been left behind.

"Alright gentlemen, that's enough," Max said, elevating his voice a bit as the sound of waves crashing against the sand heightened. He laid a large, bone-handled knife at Marko's feet, before looking straight into the deep blue of his eyes. "All in good time, I say. All in good time."

Marko blinked once, glanced down at the knife and then back up at Max. "You won't win this, even if you do kill me."

Max chuckled. "My, my, my, you silly boy. I have no intention of killing you. You are one of my own. I want you to be able to enjoy this just as much as I will be, but…" the gleam in his eyes suddenly faded and was replaced with a stern type of cold anger. "You must, must learn your place here, and therefore, there are consequences to your actions." He took in a deep breath of air as he turned away, and let it out threw puckered lips. "Let's begin shall we? Walter, bring me my robe."

One of his smaller employees emerged from the crowd, carrying with him a very large robe of sorts in a dark red color and carefully helped Max into it. "There you are sir," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Remember to breath."

Max then preceded to sit yoga style right in the middle of the platform between Marko and Serenity. He put his thumb and pointer finger together and closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths through his nose and letting it go out his mouth.

Marko frowned, suddenly questioning the elder vampires sanity and looked again towards Serenity. The many foreign hands had finally cleared away from her, but she still slumped a bit, the ropes around her wrists keeping her in a standing position. He could hear her heartbeat. It was slow in rhythm, but then every few seconds it would quicken as though she were willing herself out of the fog the drugs put her in. Then the faint words of '_help,'_ rang out in his ears. Her mind screamed with rage, but her eyes showed no sign of enthusiasm.

He let his head drop for an unneeded breath and then slowly looked up towards the small area where David stood off center from the platform. David had already been looking callously in his direction with his arms crossed.

'_Go with it.'_

Marko frowned and just barely opened his mouth. Was David actually implying that he should do whatever Max asked of him? Maybe his sire had devised a plan, but Marko was afraid to ask for fear that if Max heard them, he would certainly put a stop to it.

Meanwhile, just outside the Boardwalk entrance, Paul, Dwayne, Edgar, Alan, Sage and Jax, had all made their way from the New Life building into the nearest parking lot. The place was empty with the exception of the few cars that had been left behind a few days before when the red rain had hit, but the overhead lights were in full working order and emitted enough light for all of them to see.

"Everyone have your game faces on?" Edgar asked, as he moved methodically towards the lights now flickering from the boardwalk in the near distance. The soft eerie hum from the banshee's could be heard as Alan followed dully after him, remembering that they were all out of weapons. He remembered also that they were ahead of the others, and at this point in time, for the first time, he had no inclination of what the next step would be. He knew Edgar didn't either, but his headstrong brother would continue to lead until he had no other choice but to turn back and ask for help.

"And just where da ya think you're going eh?" Jax asked of the two Frogs, impatiently tapping his foot with his arms heavy against his chest. It seemed, that the two hardheaded hunters possessed a mental impairment that dissuaded them from following any type of direction that wasn't their own.

"Don't you see what's going on here?" Edgar croaked, throwing his arms out to Jax. Impatience flared in his eyes. "The boardwalk man, this is it! It's time for some dedicated kick ass action the American way."

"We all know that mate, but first things first. We've got to count our chickens before we go pokin' our necks out." He pointed at the ground and counted with his index finger for emphasis.

Alan rolled his eyes and tilted his head. This guy could pull lightening out of light sockets, but when he talked sometimes it made no sense, and no matter how bullheaded his brother was, he would always be there to defend him. "I can't think of anything that's more important right now than saving Serenity. So unless you guys and your chickens have some weapons for us _real_ hunters…"

Edgar stopped and turned away from the Boardwalk to face them. "Look, it doesn't matter what you have to say Jax, because I have a plan."

Alan's face twisted in puzzlement. "You do? When were you going to tell me?"

"Right now," Edgar answered earnestly and straight faced. "But it means a trip back to the comic shop. I need to grab a tape."

"A tape?" Alan asked, looking more and more bewildered.

"Uh, might I remind you that this has to be over and done with preferably before the sun rises," Sage interrupted.

"You talk like we are for sure going to win this," Dwayne said, scanning the area in front of him with sharp eyes. He was growing slightly impatient due to the fact that he couldn't contact David safely to let him know their whereabouts.

"Well, I am for sure," Sage continued. "There is no reason why we shouldn't."

Dwayne let out a sinister, sarcastic chuckle. "Kids. Have you ever gone up against a head vampire as old as Max? Even with your little bag of tricks, he has age on you my friend."

"No," Sage continued. "I haven't. But the time is right and we have everything we need. It's just that thing with the sun, as I said before, if we don't end this before sunrise there's a good chance that the two of you will obviously be burned alive."

"Good riddance," Edgar piped.

"Better watch that tongue of yours frog face, or I'll eat it up along with the rest of that attitude," Paul warned, stepping up beside Dwayne.

Sage huffed and looked away. "We're running out of time. The ritual is about to begin and this really is important." He looked down at his cross and then up at the two vampires. "You'll both have to take blood from Serenity. David and Marko already have, so they're in the clear. As long as you can do that, the sun won't burn you."

Paul made a face and desperately searched for a smoke from his pockets. "Fuck. How the hell are we supposed to do that? She's going to be surrounded by those banshee bitches, plus Max and all his lab rats."

"Well, you'll have to fly, and you'll have to be quick about it," Sage told him matter-of-factly. "Jax and I will be busy holding off the horde. David is already there, and I doubt he's restrained."

"And Marko? What about him man? What if they plan to kill him too?" Paul asked. He had given up on the smoke and instead ran his hands up through his hair to hold the back of his head. As he did this, the chains on his jacket and belt made the slightest little noise.

Edgar raised a hand and waved it about. "Uh, hello…plan here! It will take me five minutes to run back to the shop. I know exactly where the tape is that I need."

"Tape? What…what tape? That place is infested with snakes," Alan reminded him. "We'd have better luck at the army surplus."

"No Alan think!" Edgar pressed. "You're forgetting one thing. These banshees are man made evil. What's the one thing a real spirit of the death world does before someone is about to die?"

Alan squinted in thought and than both corners of his mouth turned up into the barest of an army brat smile. "They screech," he said knowingly, pointing an exaggerated finger at Sage.

"Exactly, but not if we do it first. I'm going back for that tape."

"And I'm going with you," Alan stated.

"Have at it guys, but we can't wait for you," Sage told them. He turned his attention back to the two vampires as if regarding Edgar's plan only made the task at hand worse. "Another thing, David needs to know we're coming. Have you been able to get through to him?"

"No," Dwayne answered. "There's a good chance Max is just waiting for us to make contact with him. It's better if we don't for now. Lay low until the time is right."

"I understand, but it's important that we be able to communicate with each other." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If this ritual goes like I think it will, Max won't be able to focus on his boys once the chant starts. You'll have a very small window of opportunity then. All he needs to know is that we're coming. If Jax and I can get you to Serenity, he'll have to keep Max occupied."

"Shit man, I hate to be a downer, but what if Max actually pulls this off?" Paul suddenly asked. "Wouldn't that mean a forever night sort of deal?"

Dwayne chuckled again. "You really think that's possible, to have a forever night in one part of the world and not the other? I think that run in with the banshees damaged your undead brain cells."

Paul ignored the comment, only because the incident was still a blur in his mind and therefore he was void of a decent comeback. "I gotta make sure, just in case I don't get to Serenity in time. I can't imagine the sun being anymore fun to die in than a tub full of Holy water."

Jax put a hand on Paul's shoulder. "Peace mate. Hell, there's a chance the spell Max has will backfire and not even work at all my friend. So, are we ready or what?"

Sage motioned him forward. "Lead the way old friend."

Paul sighed, uneager to face the monsters again as he put a hand on Dwayne's shoulder semi copying Jax. "What the hell ever happened to the good ole' days when all we got was a scolding for pestering customers in Max's video store? Now those were the times. Nice and safe…plenty of time for smoking…"

Dwayne threw his head back and laughed heartily. "You grew up, you old son of a bitch. Come on, let's get Marko and David the hell out of there."

"Shit, I'm not that old man," Paul countered as the two of them followed after Sage and Jax.

The group managed to hide themselves well within the shadows just under the arcade, the only dark portion of the Boardwalk at that point, and waited to make the first move. From there they had a perfect view of the platform where Max sat in his meditative state. Everything was silent minus the constant hum coming from the black robed figures and the waves crashing against the shore. Even the rides that continuously progressed around and around had been silenced.

Serenity heard her saviors' thoughts loud and clear and she began to fight against the restraints that were causing her arms to go numb.

Marko noticed her make a small sound and turned to see her struggling. She rolled her body, her eyes flipping to the back of her head for a moment. He noticed David watching her intently and began to try once again to work his way out of his own bounds.

"Think we should break the silence?" Jax asked. "Our girl knows we're here."

"They're all meditating. Wouldn't it be better to sneak in around them and take her while they're not looking?" Dwayne asked. "If I'm going to get a good drink from her I need to do it while I'm not trying to fight off a bunch of bitches."

"Here, here," Paul nodded.

Sage sucked in air with a tsk tsk sound. "It's risky at best. If they see you, they'll be drawn straight to you. Hmmm…." He thought for a moment watching Marko work on his bounds. "Ok. Let's do it."

Dwayne nodded and he and Paul skipped back as far as they could against the lay out of small shops that lined the arcade to keep their forms invisible in the dark. Sage and Jax watched as they worked their way down the large building, finally hopping over the railing at the end to touch down on sand. Their cat like ability to move unheard when needed proved to be a real advantage as they headed out and around towards the platform.

Jax inhaled a large mouthful of air as he wiggled his fingers silently at his sides to coerce a few offshore clouds to venture forth. He wanted to be prepared just in case Paul and Dwayne didn't make it. "Come, come my lovelies. Time to work," he whispered.

Sage also brought his cross out, keeping it safely cupped in his hands as not to let the light of it shine through and give away their position. He looked up and noticed one of the banshees closest to the sneaking boys switch positions. "Shit, shit…Jax look!"

"Bloody hell! I'm going to need a little distraction mate, the clouds aren't ready yet."

There was a sudden screeching whale from the crowd and then they saw the outstretched arm of one of the banshees pointing in Paul and Dwayne's direction. The banshees all turned in unison to look upon the two under the arcade as if a spotlight had just been shone down on them. Both Sage and Jax yelped. Sage pushed his cross forward and a great white, blinding light overpowered the crowd.

"Son of a bitch!" Paul cursed. Both he and Dwayne took off across the sand. It was too early in the game to fly in and completely give themselves away. "Those snatches are right on our tails!"

"Come on, come on…there we go." Jax winked up at the sky. He took a step back and folded into the position of a baseball player just about to throw the ball. One or two skips forward and he made the imperceptible toss. "BOOM!" he whispered dramatically.

The sound of thunder zipped through the crowd and shortly after came the lightening. It touched down right in the middle of the horde, igniting banshees and sending their ashes flying.

Max came out of his meditative state and looked around. He calmly got to his feet and glanced at all the lab coats he had hired. "What the hell is going on here? I hired you to work, now work!" He noticed something fast and white, racing through his army and decided it was time to get the show on the road. Nodding to one of the assistants, the ropes around Marko's wrists were cut. "Time to do your job," Max told him sternly.

Every inch of Marko's being screamed for him to waste Max right then and there, but David's earlier words kept him from it. Instead he gritted his teeth and watched as David casually walked over to stand beside their head sire, even with all the commotion going on behind them. Marko gave him a questioning look as he painfully rubbed his hands and wrists; some of the delicate, exposed flesh there had been severely burned by the Holy water. "You're a sick son of a bitch Max," he hissed. "I may be loyal to the pack, but I sure as hell am not your lap dog."

Max smiled. "You still don't understand your part in all of this do you?" He picked up the knife and offered it to him. "You've earned yourself this position. I feel it's only fair, since you've already marred her with your sexual endeavors. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and she'll survive this. She just…won't have any powers." He shrugged with another toothy smile and stepped forward, once again offering the knife.

Marko stood up. "No," he said simply.

"You'll either do this, or be thrown out of this family. And I think you know what that means, don't you my boy?"

"Only by blood are we part of your twisted family. The answer is still no." Marko looked to David. The look on his sire's face was the exact same look he had given once upon a time when Marko had found out he was a half vampire, and a deep, long past, hidden anger showed its ugly head once again.

"Shame. And yet you'd do it so easily to any other human. I mean really, that's all she is. Just a play thing," he waved the knife jeeringly through the air.

"He's right Marko," David said. "We've been playing at this fantasy game for far too long now. We're not white knights, we're killers. Time to make the kill. Be thankful there's a chance she might live through this. You will get to turn her and she'll be ours forever. Don't make us use unnecessary force here."

Those words. The same words he had used to coerce Marko into drinking his blood from a flask. They lashed out and stung him from behind. Marko curled his hands into fists; a low feral growl slowly erupted from his throat as he stared daggers into David. But before he could fight it or even argue, his sire very carefully turned so that Max couldn't see and gave him a reassuring wink. That did nothing to put him at ease. So David had a plan. Great. What good did it do him when his sire couldn't communicate it?

"Ah, you see," Max said, pleased. "I knew you would come around David. It was just a matter of time. Now…Marko, what'll it be?"

Blind faith would be all that Marko had to go by, but he knew dam well that David didn't want the world corrupted, so he decided to run with it. He didn't take a step forward or lean down to make the passing of the knife between himself and Max easier. Instead, he simply held out his hand and gave a disgusting look at the crowd.

With little concern, Max placed the handle in the palm of his fledgling's hand. Marko wrapped his fingers around it, stepped back, flung it up in the air and simply caught it with a wry smile. "Let's play," he said, turning towards Serenity, his expression dark as his eyes passed over David.

As many times as he had taken a life he never thought that pretending to take one would be so hard, but it was. His grip hardened around the weapon Max had chosen for him as he slowly moved forward, eyeing Serenity up and down. Her breathing was steady, her eyelids half closed as she gave him one simple glance as if waiting for the verdict.

As he inched nearer, something on the platform caught his attention. It shimmered in the dark and then he recognized the four points of a symbol that just a few days prior had been stuck to his arm in an attempt to burn him. It was Serenity's cross just lying there in the open and he glanced back over his shoulder. David stood with a hand to his chin and gave him a promising yet stern look, which could only mean that he had somehow put it there. With the head of their pack somewhat distracted, Marko quickly leaned over and scooped up the cross by its chain with the sharp end of the knife. He swung it around and bravely took hold if it in the palm of his hand.

The deed went unnoticed thankfully as Max clapped, beckoning a couple of his employees over. "Ok boys, things are in order here, now let's take care of our friends up there shall we?" He pointed towards the Boardwalk where Jax and Sage stood. "I just need you to help me make a circle." With that said, the three of them gathered up the soil and began to throw it around the invisible line his workers had made and together they chanted. 'By the powers of the Earth, strength, and stability, I cast this circle.'

Next, and very quickly he moved to the East and grabbed the incense. 'By powers of air, knowledge and inspiration, I cast this circle,' came the chant again. The wind began to blow and the waves twisted and rolled, moving ever closer to the platform.

Max continued by moving to the South, snatching the red candle and walked as they chanted, 'By powers of fire, protection and passion, I cast this circle.' Suddenly what little of the moon had peeked through the clouds turned a dark amber color and the thunder subsided.

Last but not least came the water and small droplets were placed around the perimeter of the circle as the last of the chanted words were said. 'By powers of water, love and emotion, I cast this circle.'

Up ahead at the arcade watchtower Jax's game of thunder baseball had suddenly failed and he looked around dumbfounded. "Shit mate, I've lost my power. What the hell?"

"It's the spell," Sage yelled. He grabbed for the railing and hurled himself over it, landing softly in the sand as he used his cross as a shield. By now the banshees were in a mad rage and were closing in on Dwayne and Paul.

Jax was still too dumbfounded by the loss of his power to realize the immediate danger as he stood with his hands on his hips and looked around. "Oiy, so help me, I'll kill that bastard!"

"You have to try and transform!" Sage yelled with urgency, acting as if the light from his cross was blinding. He continued to take out one by one of the demons, and when he was able to look over at his friend he found him already in wolf form, racing in and out of the demons to catch up with Paul and Dwayne.

Paul let out a holler of his own as he latched onto the head of one. "I'm nobody's bitch," he spat and snapped the thing clean off the shoulders of the black thing. The body fell and thudded to the ground, knocking out a few more in its path. "Come on, bring it!" he snarled.

Dwayne pulled him back. "Never mind them, let's go! Marko is on the move." They were a mere five feet away from the platform, but the dark sea of banshees closing in ahead of them didn't make the short distance any more promising.

Sage continued his fight, beating them off in two's and three's, but even his light was starting to fade and he desperately made the sign of a cross on his chest. "Help us. Help us God."

As soon as the words graced his lips, there came an abrupt zipping noise from behind, one that an old record player might make if the needle was being drug across the smooth, satin finish of a record. A second later, a deep, hoarse voice that could only be Edgar's, echoed out onto the beach. "Testing…one…two…testing…"

Sage hit the sand and crawled through the banshees until he was clear, then bolted towards the stairs that led up to the underside of the arcade. "Oh no…" he whispered. He had to stop them or they would only make things worse. But before he could get there, the sound of soft, sweet music began to filter through the speakers throughout the Boardwalk, followed by the melodious tweeting of birds and then words.

'_Lovin' you is easy cuz you're beautiful…'_

'_Makin' love with you is all I want to do…'_

'_Lovin' you is more than just a dream come true…'_

_'And everything that I do is out of loving you…'_

Behind the scenes Alan's face dropped to the floor in shock. "Edgar!" he screeched. "Really? This is what you wanted to play? Are you out of your mind? Who listens to this?"

Edgar put a hand up in dispute and cranked the volume. "Just wait and watch."

The first verse ended and the final notes hit a high. 'La la la la la la la la la la la la luh…do do do do do…haiiiieiiiiiiiii!' This in turn caused the mellow dramatic buzz from the banshees to elevate and they all shrieked in unison, dropping to their knees in the sand to cover their ears.

"Hell ya!" Edgar roared, ripping the tape back in order to replay the last line over again.

Sage stopped running down the Boardwalk and doubled over to catch his breath. "Son of a bitch," he gasped, "It's actually working."


	24. Cutting Ties

With Max finally having the first of the ritual complete, there came a soft hum and the circle illuminated itself in the bright colors of all the elements that had just been spilled. They circled the vampire in their light as he moved forward marveling and running a hand over it. The fascination he had for the magic at work kept him from noticing that his band of banshees had fallen silent and paralyzed.

It was the perfect opportunity for Marko, Paul and Dwayne to make their move.

Marko slipped a light hand under Serenity's chin and lifted her face. "Serenity," he whispered, kissing her forehead as he wrapped the chain around her neck and clasped it in the hopes that maybe it would protect her like Sage's protected him. Then he took the knife and cut her bounds, helping to steady her as she stumbled forward. "We don't have much time and I need you to do something for me."

She closed her eyes and gave him the slightest of nods, feeling his fingers smooth over her cheek. This task gnawed at his insides. He didn't want to share her with anyone, but there was no choice and the safety of his pack came first and foremost in all circumstances.

Paul and Dwayne had already made it around to her side, eager to take a bite out of their heroine. Marko acknowledged them with a crucial, yet unreadable expression as though he were getting ready to share his prey and yet guard it from being torn to pieces at the same time. The three of them had already informed David of their plan and now it was Serenity's turn to perform. She leaned back into her lover's chest and held her wrists up for both vampires to see.

The honey scented smell her blood was giving off snapped their senses into overdrive. "Oh ya, I'm starvin' Marvin here," Paul announced.

Without hesitation they dug in and drank greedily, carelessly pulling her towards them as the blood they slopped dripped from both open wrists. It was an instant contact high. Her heart beat erratically as she tried to keep some form of calm but also panicked at the same time. Under the influence of Max's spell her wounds wouldn't heal and neither would she if they drained her dry.

"Mar-Markoo," she choked, slinking back into him as far as she could. But just like clockwork, the two simultaneously released their bite and licked their lips clean. They both eyed Marko in wonder and amazement and then had to step back or else go at her with all the force and terror they usually exhibited when it came time to feed.

Marko saw the blood seeping freely from her wrists and by mere force of habit, brought them both to his mouth, but instead of tearing more veins from flesh, he eased his tongue over the bites to seal up the small punctures. When that didn't work he looked at her in vain and then grabbed a handful of the white material that made up his shirt and ripped a few strands of the fabric from it. Her blood was what Max needed to complete the ritual, he had to stop it from flowing. He hastily wrapped her wrists in the white remnants and held her close. Now it was David's turn to move.

Along with Max's hired hands, he was busy watching the radiant glow that emanated from the circle around their boss with an ever-growing distaste.

"Power rising within me, as I will it so shall it be," Max and his cohorts chanted, unaware that another foe approached to help dismember their plans. Jax had carefully concealed himself before appearing at David's side in his human form front and center. He cleared his throat and waggled his eyebrows to get the vampires attention. Then he put one foot forward and made a disorderly line in the sand with his toe. "The circle mate, break the circle," he whispered.

David's lips twisted in thought like he had befallen the trance the circle had put on the others as he eyed the kid sideways. After a moments pause he scoffed. Well if it was that easy, why didn't he think of it himself? With the infamous smirk drawn on his face so that just the tips of his fangs were visible, he boldly stepped forward and looked Max right in the eye. The head vampire watched as his fledgling first cut into his little magic line with the back of one spur and then spread the rest of it sloppily with the toe of his boot. Instantly, the light went out.

"Bravo!" Jax proclaimed clapping his hands together as his nails elongated, ready to take change once more.

The fury in Max finally broke through, as masculine bumps took over the smooth, all too human ones on his forehead and his eyes took on that familiar demonic glow. "What have you _done_?" he growled, his voice husky. "You dare go against me?"

"We all deal with what we're dealt differently," David answered. The words slipped through his lips graced with venom as he straightened. "You made me what I am today. You can't expect much more than that from a servant killer. Although, I'm pretty sure I'm in the right here tonight old man. Even your visions have become sick and twisted."

Max wasted no words on lecture this time around as he took a flying leap towards his protégé that was too fast for anyone to see but David. The lost boy dug his boots deep into the sand and leaned into the hit at just the right moment as Max threw him for a loop and they both went flying in the opposite direction.

"Fuck me!" Paul gasped as he watched the two collide.

As the two leaders hashed it out, it was now up to all of Max's little employees to save the day, and they quickly rushed the platform to gang up on the three vampires.

Marko gave both his brothers wicked smile. "They are still human."

Paul and Dwayne laughed forebodingly as he said this and let their faces transform before turning on them.

It was an instant blood bath.

Curtis, however, still hadn't learned his lesson nor given up. He pulled a scalpel from under one of the lapels on his lab coat and made for the stage. With Serenity's face buried deep within the threads of Marko's jacket, and Marko keeping an eye on David's status it was easy enough for him to rush the two. He targeted his mark and took aim, jabbing the tip of the instrument straight into the left side of Serenity's back, twisting it around as much as he could before extracting it.

Serenity gasped and cried out, doubling over backwards, her terror stricken face ghastly as Marko ran his hands around her waist only to pull the right one back and find it covered in her blood.

Curtis stumbled back holding the scalpel up in the air like a fool and laughed idiotically when he realized what he had just done. "So shall it be!" he declared. "I will still be at the top of Max's list when this is all over, you'll see!

Marko's only frantic thought was to give her his blood since her own wasn't working it's magic. He remembered, however, that David had frowned upon it and Sage came to mind. If anyone could heal her it would be him, and he roared out his name, but the boy was nowhere to be found.

"I'lll be ee fi-nne," Serenity mumbled, gasping for air. "I'lll be eee fi-ne."

Marko ripped off what was left of his shirt and wadded it up before placing it over the gaping hole in the girl's back. He then laid her down on the stage very tenderly, one hand guiding her neck until she was positioned. The thought of leaving her alone made him even angrier, but the little prick with the pansy knife had made a major miscalculation in coming after what he held near and dear, and now he was his for the kill.

Jax had heard Marko's call and out of nowhere he hopped up onto the stage. "I got her mate, I got her. Take him down," he told the vampire, as he went down on one knee over Serenity's body to take over.

Marko wasted no time. He had the lab rat in his grip within seconds before the little puke could even protest, and the hand with the scalpel was forced backwards until it snapped and the tool plummeted to the sand. Curtis yowled in pain, still high from his power trip, he looked the vampire right in the eyes.

"I show no mercy," Marko snarled, reaching in to rip away any articles of clothing the scientist had covering his chest. He then took him by the throat and rose high into the air. The claws of his right hand extended and with them he made a deep gash, straight down the man's chest. There was little in terms of screaming as Marko had a tight hold around his windpipe, but Curtis did manage to flail about a bit. It mattered little, however, as Marko made another deep gash crosswise. He then punched a hole straight through the man's rib cage, reaching in to grab his heart and pull it straight out. With tiny jerks from the nerve endings dying, Curtis finally stopped moving altogether and Marko released him, watching as his body fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

Still, he had no desire to taste this fowl man's blood so he turned sharp in the air and tossed the heart straight out into the ocean before descending back down to Serenity.

"We need to get her out of here mate," Jax told him. "She's losing too much blood. I don' understand. The circle is broken, she should be healin' ya?"

"We've got trouble all around," Paul said as he hopped back up onto the stage. He motioned to the spot where Max and David fought. Their leader was on all fours in the sand and Max hovered over him. "He can't take down the ole' man alone."

"We can take care of Max," Jax told Marko. "You get your girl out of here. Get her to Sage, he should be right up under the arcade, just follow the really bad music."

Marko scooped Serenity up and took off across the sand. Once he was far enough away from trouble he took flight and landed just near the entrance next to the carrousel.

Jax got to his feet and let his fur start to sprout, but was disrupted when Dwayne grabbed his arm. "We've tried to take on Max before, it didn't end well," the vampire warned.

"Well then, let's make sure it does this time," Jax stated before reclaiming his arm. "We've got twenty minutes before the sun rises, which means you let me handle this arse-hole. No going and getting yourselves sliced and diced since you've got the girls blood running through ya, it has to last. Understand? Distractions only my friends, and once I've got'im pinned then you can have at it."

Dwayne still looked a bit apprehensive and a little offended. "So what you're saying is that three of us may be no match against our maker but one of you is?"

Jax gave him a smile with a mouth full of fangs. "I'm a lot older than ya think mate." With that said he was back down on all fours and leapt off the stand without making a sound as he headed towards the spot where the two older vampires lay.

Paul picked up the knife Marko had left behind and raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "This could come in handy."

"Have you ever been in a fight with a knife?" Dwayne asked.

"Shit no, I've got knives of my own right here," he answered, holding up his other hand to reveal his claws.

Dwayne scowled and took the knife from him. "Come on. Think you can do what the kid said and keep your anger to yourself?"

"What are you saying bud, that I have control issues?" he chuckled. "Well, maybe only when it comes to sex, drugs and rock & roll. But I'm sure as hell praying he's right. Cuz that means so long Maxi-pad…helloo life!"

They both watched as Jax made his way stealthily towards Max one paw after the other, soundless in the sand. He took special care not to make any noise, teeth ready and bared. Shape-shifters such as he had the ability to hide their smell in such a way that it was hard for any other predator to detect them before it was too late. Therefore, sneaking up behind a rather distracted Max was a piece of cake.

Max was standing over David with his hands on his hips starring down at the lost boy, either contemplating how to end him or how to teach him a long lasting lesson. David on the other hand was spitting a mix of sand and blood and laughing at it to boot. But Jax wasn't about to wait for the outcome. He let out a riotous growl that even his foe, Thorn, would be proud of and leapt onto the vampires back. The force of the hit caused both of them to lose balance and plummet, one on top of the other, to the ground. A wise and cunning old bastard, Max managed to roll onto his back mid fall so that he faced the kid's snarling fangs.

Jax snapped and went for his flesh. But the vampire blocked his bite and instead Jax got the thick, muscled part of Max's forearm, which satisfied him for a moment as he ripped tendons from bone. Half surprised by the damage, Max grabbed the boy by the nape of his neck and with his good hand, tossed him effortlessly to the sand. Still in full vampire form, he raged like a patient from the psychiatric ward as he looked down at his massacred arm.

Jax's wolf form seemed to have the consistency of a rubber band as he bounced easily off the gritted ground and in a moment's time was again on all fours. With his head lowered, and upper lip curled and crinkled, he bared his canines. He didn't wait for the vampire to throw his head back and laugh again like he knew he was famous for doing. Instead he lunged, claws out, snout open wide and hit his mark dead on. The leaders misjudgment of strength was Jax's gain and he wasn't sure if it was a gasp of surprise that erupted from Max's mouth or a gurgled groan as the two fell to the sand once more. This time Jax had the upper hand as his wicked teeth pierced the skin of his enemy's throat.

The vampire struggled; using his own claws to punch holes in the sides of the boy's ribcage and sent mounds of fur flying. Jax couldn't help but let out an agonized howl. It wouldn't be long before the vampire dislodged him and he looked around for the others as best he could while keeping a tight jaw around Max's gullet.

David got to his knees sure that he had at least five broken ribs, but at least he wasn't leaking any blood. He could see Paul and Dwayne fast approaching and then realized what was really going on before him. He struggled to his feet and all but tripped over himself as he made haste towards the spot where Max lay pinned to the sand. This was their chance to end it; to finally be free of the old vampires crazed ideas about family and world domination. "Do it Jax!" he warned. "Don't wait."

A strange sound came from Max's throat before he had his claws intertwined with the fur at the nape of Jax's neck, and before the boy new it, he was being violently heaved away once again, but not before managing to take plenty of flesh with him. In fact the deep bite left Max without a windpipe and plenty of torn artery. It left him grasping his neck and choking on his own blood.

"Holy fuck!" Paul exclaimed at the site of it, turning away in disgust. Something about another vampire's dismemberment made him weak in the knees, possibly because he himself had been almost completely melted away with nothing left but bones to carry on with his immortal soul.

Dwayne frowned but remained his stoic self and handed the knife to David. "Time to finish Max," he told him.

The three of them watched as the head vampire became paralyzed. His blood formed in a pool around him and soaked into the sand. David didn't seem bothered by it at all as he hunched down, leaning over on the tips of his boots and gave Max a curt nod, placing the blade smoothly at his throat.

'_It was all going to be so perfect my boy. Can't you see it?'_ Max asked him telepathically.

'_I know my limitations,'_ David answered. _'Like I said, this time, you really did go to far.'_ He hesitated for a moment, holding the blade at its mark as a flicker of remorse graced his being. It almost seemed too easy, and their father made no sound as bone was separated from bone, tissue from tissue, and veins from veins.

Meanwhile up on the Boardwalk, Sage appeared from one of the ticket booths when he heard Marko's approach. He had a look of confusion stamped across his face as he looked upon the two covered in blood. The vampire was shirtless and Serenity was wrapped in various places with what remained of the material from it.

"What happened?" he asked, letting his lips hang loose even as his eyebrows formed a disagreeable frown.

"You tell me," Marko answered, his voice deep in frustration. "The spell is supposed to be broken and yet here she is!" He thrust her forward hard enough to get his point across to the kid but not hard enough to do any more damage as anger flared in his eyes. "You can fix her right?"

Sage looked at him as though questioning his ability was offensive. He was growing rather tired of these guys' doubts. Still, when it came to life and death, there was only so much he could do. "I can try." His voice was low and almost weak as if he was unsure, but didn't want Marko to know there was a chance of failure. He could tell the lost boy was growing weak in the knees from the overwhelming perfume Serenity's blood gave off, and it would be best at that point to get her out of his arms.

"Good," Marko stated raising his eyebrows in exclamation. "You have five seconds to figure it out before I give her some of my blood." The notion had been disregarded earlier, but now that Sage was showing signs of doubt, he was desperate and didn't feel like living another eternity without her.

Sage all but jumped out of his skin when those words hit his ears. "No Marko! You can never do that no matter what. A drop or two fine, but any more and she'll be changed forever! One of you! No more powers, no nothing. Are you that willing to put all our lives at risk for that? Tell me you're not!"

He watched as Marko looked down at her hopelessly and half delirious from the need to feed. Sage was pushing his danger buttons. He could see the wheels turning in the vampire's head and braced himself for the worst.

"Maybe you should let me carry her," he offered softly when there was no response.

Marko finally raised his eyes to stare at the boy; a half twisted something of a smile gracing his lips. "I don't give a shit about you or anyone else here other than my brothers and this girl. If I want to turn her to save her life, then I will. Stand in my way and not even that cross you carry will save you."

Sage swallowed air and looked away trying not to let the words get to him. "Vampires," he muttered under his breath. He wasn't afraid of threats, but being perceived as nothing in the scheme of things pulled at his heart strings, especially after all that he had done to save these guys. No matter how much he understood the nature of the beast, it still hurt him deep inside. "Well come on then, let's get her inside."

He had decided that one of the clothing shops under the covered walkway near the arcade would be their best bet and once at the door, he proceeded to bring his cross forward, slamming it against the metal bolt. There was a click-click sound and the lock opened. Sage turned the knob and rushed the door open.

Once inside, he circled the hanging clothes grabbing handfuls of them off the racks as he went and spread them out in a small pile over the floor. He gestured to Marko with one hand and the vampire carefully laid his blood stained beauty down over them.

Sage took his cross between the palms of his hands to warm it, giving Marko a chance to settle, and then placed it flat against the smooth skin of her upper chest just below her throat close to her heart. Her body heaved from the connection and Marko shifted, but the boy put a hand up to keep him in his place without looking away from Serenity. He reached down with nimble fingers and plucked at the t-shirt turned wrapping around her wrist as not to disrupt any form of healing that was taking place underneath.

When the makeshift bandage was completely removed Sage spoke. "See." His eyes examined the fading bite marks. "She is healing, but the process won't be complete until the sun rises."

Marko let a non-existent breath slip through his lips in relief and looked out through the open door and out over the beach where so many black hooded bodies lay. It was high tide, the time when normally he and his pack were making their way back to the safety of a darkened cave to sleep through the day. The full waves crashed against the shore, lapping at the back of the platform and at Max's body, carrying away the blood stained sand around him. There was but a twinge of emptiness deep within from Max's passing, partially due to the fact that David's blood had always been the stronger one in Marko's body. And now just over the horizon, the dark of night was giving way to a splash of gray as the first light of dawn began to peel away the fog that rolled in almost every night in Santa Carla. This would be the first morning the vampires had seen in decades.

"Max is gone," Marko said, now leaning against the frame of the doorway, his hands in his jean pockets. To Sage he appeared numb and out of sorts, which was understandable considering the situation and the fact that they were about to face the one thing they would always hide from. The sun.

Regardless, Sage was happy about the outcome and he smiled down at their girl. She finally seemed somewhat at peace, but her eyes remained closed. "I think it would be a good idea to let your brothers know where we are and have them join us. Her blood will keep you all from melting in the sun's rays, but it's probably a little much to stand right out in it…white skin and all." He looked up at Marko, hoping against hope that the vampire might retract his previous statements and show a little gratitude.

Marko turned away from the door with the same look of menace plastered to his face as before. His eyes were sleepy and hunger filled. The day was already wearing on him. "They are on their way."

Sage nodded. "Good. Can you watch her? I'm going to go fetch the Frogs."

"She _is_ mine to protect," Marko smiled, eyeing Sage as he inched past him and exited.

The vampires on the outside flinched up at the sky as the sun bore down on them for the first time in years. Dwayne put an arm over his face, and Paul all but wailed as he looked down at his ever-pale skin as if it burned. David seemed the most immune, but still shielded his eyes as they made their way towards the small clothing shop. Jax had already run up ahead of them.

"Fuck it's bright!" Paul cursed. "How we gona get back? I'm starting to feel a little sick or something."

"It's the sun," David indicated, trying to get a glimpse of the beach in all its golden glory.

Despite the mess the Boardwalk and everything around it was in, the fireball in the sky seemed to spread some form of comfort, even to a vampire as old as he, but that didn't keep him from feeling the affects of it on his sluggish heart. He found himself repeatedly prying his eyelids open. "I suggest you save your tongue. We're gona need all the strength we have to make it back home. I for one don't plan on sleeping the day away in a clothing store. I don't care how dismantled this town is, it's too dam risky."

By the time they reached their destination and filed inside, the Frog brothers were already waiting with arms crossed. They scoffed at the small rivulets of smoke rolling off each of the vampires' skin.

"Now can we run them through?" Alan asked deadpan.

Sage huffed and gave them a warning look. Did they not know how dangerous of ground they were walking on at that point? Four tired, hungry, and worn vampires were not things to mess around with and as hunters they should have known this.

Edgar stepped forward "I know this has all been done for the good of the world, but I must warn you all right here and now that we will not stop hunting these blood suckers that prowl the night and kill to survive. Whether you save one today or a hundred tomorrow, we'll be right behind you to clean up the mess."

"He's right, "Alan agreed. "You may have saved the world tonight and all the people in it, but tomorrow night they'll just be out killing the very lives you saved. You can't expect us to just sit around and pretend everything is cool."

Sage rolled his eyes. "Everything is definitely not cool. Look around you. We have a lot of work to do." He continued to monitor Serenity, as did Marko. The vampire was hanging by tooth and nail to stay awake.

Serenity felt both of them at her sides and slowly opened her eyes. "I can't believe I crashed and burned." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm Sorry."

"No apologies," Marko smiled, as a flicker of peace finally returned to his troubled eyes. He placed a hand over her forehead.

"You did great," Sage reassured her. "They are still alive because of you."

Alan grunted and rolled his eyes. Someone like her shouldn't be encouraged to save these night stalkers; she should be using her gifts to destroy them. It wasn't fair, and for some reason, he hated to have to walk away from her.

"Well it's nice to see that the loving atmosphere hasn't changed between us," David mocked as he watched the hardhearted expressions constantly change on the hunters' faces. "Can you boys keep the rug-rats here so that we can escape in peace and get some shut eye? I would hate to be staked in my own home after going to all of this trouble to save myself from the sun."

"I think we can do that," Jax assured. "We've got some things to take care of anyway before this town figures out what just happened."

"You're leaving?" Serenity asked, worry present in her eyes as she looked up at Marko.

"Just for a little while. I need to sleep, get my thoughts straight and feed when I wake up or I might come back for you more confused than I already am." He winked and placed a light kiss on her left cheek before peering back into her eyes. "Go to sleep." She let the charm work it's way into her mind and a minute later was far away in dreamland.

The rest of the lost boys made their way from the store single file with a few extra layers covering their arms and faces for protection, courtesy of the surf shop clothing store, and as David was the last to leave, he stopped and turned with a smirk. "By the way, in case you're interested, you'll find Sasha quite comfortable down in the basement in Max's facility."

Both Sage and Jax went bug eyed. "Mother fucker," Sage exclaimed completely out of his character. "How the hell did we forget about Sasha this whole dam time?"

The shit-eating grin on David's face went from ear to ear. "There's only room for one opinion when it comes to taking care of things in the heat of the moment and that's mine. The next time she gets in my face I won't be so kind." Content that he had gotten his point across, he melded into the dreaded sun and vanished from sight.

Jax sat down on his knees dumbfounded. "He pu…he pu…blimey o' riley mate, he put a mind jiggy on us. That son of a bitch!"


	25. World without End

Serenity slept through the day and awoke just as the sun vanished below the horizon. She opened her eyes to unfamiliar territory in a warm, cozy little bedroom that by some strange magic alleviated the ache radiating through her body. The old wooden paneled walls had soaked up the daylights rays and held them, creating a heated barrier that kept her nice and snug as the nights chill settled in. A comfortable place was a welcome feeling even as the remains of dried blood cracked and sloughed away from her skin. Still, she couldn't place the room, regardless of how recognizable the invisible odors circulating throughout it were. She tried to move to get a better look, but to her dismay found her limbs unwilling. It was all she could do to turn her head and wiggle a few fingers, aimlessly kneading the heavy comforter beneath her as she fought to take control.

It was a struggle of will, but at last a newfound position enabled her to view the open doorway, further out into the hall and up at all the bright lights lining the ceiling. They were a loud and obnoxious white and yellow, much different than the earthy toned nook she found herself safe within. In fact, they triggered the more recent memories in her that screamed laboratory and suddenly the bed didn't feel secure anymore. Her chest heaved in panic as she continued to stare through the empty frame that made up the entrance. The last thing she could recall was seeing Marko in the early morning hours. The knowledge of a war well ended had been written all over his face. Had she been dreaming it? Were they still stuck somewhere deep within the walls of that hellish place Max had created? She inhaled another deep breath and tears welled in her eyes as she tried to muster the energy to fight through it and rise to a sitting position.

After a few strained tries, only one arm obeyed to cross her chest. She grunted and pushed to try again when a figure appeared at the door, his face darkened by the halo of lights behind him.

This caught Serenity unawares, provoking the natural instinct of fight or flight to come into play, followed by a rampant scream as she jumped up and fell backwards, fumbling through the sea of sheets in her way in order to get as far back against the wall at the back of the bed as she could. This in turn startled the unknown presence almost causing him to drop the plate he held as he let out a little yelp of his own.

"Holy shit! Serenity, it's me…Alan."

Serenity trembled and squinted to see him better before he turned and flicked the light on. His composure quickly returned to its usual stoical self as he held the plate out towards her. "Just thought you might be hungry when you woke up."

"It's over right?" she asked with urgency, still leery as her mind continued to work its way into the present.

"Ya, completely over and done with." He remained calm by the door, but his eyes revealed the fear he had of her leaping from the bed to charge and escape some unseen terror still plaguing her mind.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, finally sinking down to take a seat while covering her eyes to massage them. "Just a little disoriented. For a second I thought I was still in Max's lab."

"We wouldn't let that happen," he stated matter-of-factly as he made his way over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Edgar and I are going to burn it down. That way all the spell binding crap and knowledge that Max dug up will be gone forever." He held the plate up again and set it in the middle between them. "Peanut butter and jelly, nothing fancy, but you lost a lot of blood. You must be starving."

Serenity's mouth watered and her eyes bulged as she stared down at the two pieces of bread held together in a sloppy mess by the sweet stickiness of a fruit spread and thick peanut goodness. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten anything and all she could think about was blood. It had been consumed in one form or another everywhere around her, smeared all over her clothes, and the stench of it was permanently ingrained in her nose. Her stomach made a loud noise in protest of her hesitation and she dove for the sandwich, squishing the soft dough between her fingers as she took the first bite. Heaven. It was the best damn sandwich she had ever eaten and when the last bite was shoved into her mouth, she wished she had a hundred more just like it. All the while Alan watched in complete and utter silence, most likely comparing her hunger to a ravenous vampire. She was sure if she stuck around long enough that he and Edgar would go to extremes to make sure she wasn't the slightest bit apart of the undead population now.

But in that moment, who cared? He had brought her food! "Alan, you are a god!" she exclaimed while licking her fingers clean of any leftovers.

"If I were a god there wouldn't be any vampires roaming the streets of Santa Carla at night." He offered her a napkin hoping she wouldn't protest the statement. "Shower's up stairs, by the way, along with all your personal stuff, just in case you want to clean up. I know I would."

Without warning, she reached forward and latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before he had time to refuse a hug. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you."

He resisted the embrace for a moment with his arms slack, and then realizing she wasn't about to let go, returned the gesture with caution, lightly tapping her shoulders. "You're welcome. It's our job after all." He could smell the iron from the blood that had soaked through her clothes and remembered fast that she had been tainted by a vampire. His first reaction was to shove her away just in case the next thing she got a hold of was his neck with her teeth, but instead he used a gentle prying motion that released her arms as he stood up. "I better get back to the front."

Serenity nodded with a bit of a smile. "Guess I'll take that shower then. Oh hey, do you have any blood in the fridge? I'm so thirsty," she teased.

Alan's lip creased in disapproval of the joke as he skipped backwards without another word and disappeared down the hall.

An hour later Serenity emerged from the back, clean and dressed in grime free clothes. Her hair had sprung back to life and was now it's usual sun kissed color cascading down her back in soft spirals. Despite her clean physique, however, the expression on her face was filled with unease and she stood in that way watching as the young men before her went about their business before taking notice.

Alan sat at a small table and Jax on the other side, twirling his hands around back and forth over three cups as fast as he could while the vampire hunter watched and tried to stay focused. Sage sat at the end, content to watch through his cross as the Frog in front of him was baffled by Jax's speed. The process was soon interrupted when Edgar came charging into the room holding a book open and shoved it into the shape shifters face.

Still, Jax continued to shuffle the cups even as he observed what Edgar had found, while the pupil in front of him studied hard the hands at work, his own hands placed firmly on his knees in thought.

"Nope. No mate, that's not it, try again."

Edgar grunted and rolled his eyes, flipping the book up and over Jax's head in an irritated manner. "Then what the hell is it? This book doesn't help me at all! I'd have better luck finding it in a comic book."

A clever look overcame Jax's face. "Ok, ok, you ready, you watchin?" He was too busy trying to fool Alan and paid little attention as Edgar once again stormed out of the room in search of answers to the supernatural riddle he had been given.

Sage shook his head and smiled. The games that his cohort liked to play on others amused him. "I told you, he's never going to get that one. It's too hard for a rookie."

The cups stopped abruptly under Jax's hands and he let them be, folding his arms as he leaned back. "Ya well, they're hunters, and hunters should know about all beings of the supernatural in case something like this should ever happen again." He paused and leaned in, invading Alan's space with an obnoxious poke to the boy's shoulder. "Hey, buddy, ya in there mate? Time to pick one."

Alan snapped out of his trance and looked up at Jax with a questioning before his memory caught up, then with a hard sneer and a pointed finger he said, "Don't talk about my brother that way."

"Wha?" Jax raised his hands to claim innocence. "Oh hey, don't blame me dear friend for all your troubles. It's the truth of it. Now, ya gona pick or not?"

Alan glanced down at the cups and then back up at his opponent and without looking away touched the bottom of the plastic glass.

"You sure?" Jax asked, a wily smile on his face.

"Positive," Alan stated.

Sage laughed as Jax let out a breath and picked the cup of choice up. To Alan's dismay, there was nothing under it.

"I had my eye on it the entire time," Alan growled, irritation creasing his brow. "This is some kind of trick."

"No, no trick mate."

"Don't let him fool you Alan," Sage advised. "He gets the best of them…well, except for the professional players who like to take his money…"

"Bloody bastards," Jax cursed as he moved to stretch and finally noticed Serenity standing still as a stone statue there in the isle way. "Ahh, there she is, semi alive I'd say and looking as good as ever ya? Huh? Doesn't she look good mate?" He reached across the table again and grabbed Alan's chin, turning it towards her so that he could have a good look. Alan turned a deep shade of red as he nodded in agreement and fought to get his chin back.

Sage got up, noticing her lack of awareness, and ambled over, pulling her closer to the group. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been killed and brought back to life to many times," she answered, her eyes blank as she followed him over to the table. Instead of taking a seat, she chose to rest her hands very lightly on it while looking down. "I suppose I should call my trainer…find my horse..."

Jax gave her a good hard pat across the shoulder. "Good news love. We found him for you and he's resting comfortably in a paddock at the barn."

Serenity jumped and grabbed herself, giving Jax a look like contact was sacred and that only she could pick who touched and was touched by her.

Sage frowned and cleared his throat before he kicked Jax in the shin from under the table. He knew it would probably take some time for her to adjust and go back to a somewhat normal life. He was also relieved to see a bit of brightness creep back into her eyes when her horse was mentioned. "You're truck should be ready too," he said softly, easing the words out so as not to startle her again. "I took the liberty of having it fixed myself. Thought it would be a nice gift."

"Thank you," she said, forcing a smile. "I thought that everything would be fine after I washed the gunk away, but it isn't. I can't get Max's face out of my head. I can't get the evil feeling out of my system, so maybe…maybe the other stuff can wait for a little bit longer? I mean, how do you guys do it?"

"Ah ha, now I see." Jax hopped off his stool and gave her a small hug from behind. "You'll be fine my friend, it just takes practice. Practice makes perfect after all. Besides, Max is gone, I mean really gone and I'm pretty sure he was the only one who knew about ya. Anyone else who tries to put a dent in the universe like he did would be a fool."

"Plenty of fools arise in this town," Alan advised before getting out of his seat. "You want us to give you a ride to the barn?"

"Actually," she turned towards the open doors. The Boardwalk was in full running order, but only a few of the workers and patrol officers wandered here and there. It would take awhile before the patrons once again lined the long cement strip. "I think I'll walk."

"Ya sure?" Jax asked.

"Ok, I know I've got it this time," Edgar announced, once again interrupting them from behind. "Hey Serenity," he nodded, nonchalantly parting the way with his elbows so that he could get between her and Jax with a new book in hand. "Skin-walkers," he read out loud, running a finger down the page, "are people with the natural ability to turn into any animal they desire. See…that's gotta be it."

"Boys…girls," Jax eyed Serenity as she moved away in disgust, "I think we have a winner…almost."

"What do you mean almost?" Edgar spat. "I saw you turn into a wolf!"

"Well ya, but that's only half of it. Keep looking."

Serenity found her way over to the check stand where Alan was busy scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Let me guess, he's making you guys find out what they are?"

Alan looked up, folded the paper and handed it to her. "Yeah, do you know?"

She shook her head no and accepted the note.

"It's our number, in case you need to call us."

"Thanks." She shoved it deep into her pocket. "You guys wanna to catch up with me later before I go?"

Edgar was indifferent as he looked at her, and Sage seemed sad, but Jax quickly hopped the table to rub shoulders with her. "Of course we will! We're a team now, no matter what happens, we'll always keep in contact with each other," he said.

Serenity nodded and headed aimlessly out the door.

The long road between the comic book shop and the barn was a blessing for her as cement eventually turned to sand; causing her legs to feel stiff and heavy by the time she reached the far corner of the barn. Overall, the inside was quiet minus the few horses that chewed happily away at their dinner, and no human presence made itself known. That alone haunted her a little as the vision of Carla appearing before her in black rags with demon eyes popped into her mind. With one leftover nightmare after the other tormenting her, it was better to turn away.

Jax had said the Black would be in a paddock outside anyway, and that's exactly where she found him, grazing on the few patches of green, thick grass that stuck out from sand and dirt. He shook his head and snorted in greeting as she scaled the railing and ran up to greet him. Her arms found their way around his smooth black neck and up through the long main that tickled her face. He pushed his head down and nipped at the back of her shirt in response. "I missed you handsome." He continued to shake his head between nips in approval of her affection and after Serenity had stood for a few minutes, he snorted louder, sensing the approach of someone else. She was used to the horse's antics. He wasn't a lover of most people anyway, so whoever it was could wait as she continued to stay lost in the waves of his black mane.

"You can't just leave without saying good bye. I'd have to hunt you down."

The voice, though familiar, startled her and she jumped back into the horse's chest, turning to see Marko standing at the fence. He cleared it with little effort and made his way towards her, but the Black disapproved and tossed his head while pinning his ears in an aggressive manner.

Serenity regarded the horse with a blank face as she stared on at her vampire lover and gave the stallion a firm tap. "Knock it off."

Marko reached out to try and touch the animal, but the horse would have none of it. "What can I say, I'm a winged animal kind of guy," he admitted.

"I um, wasn't leaving…you." For whatever reason, the same semi shyness she had had with him the first time they made love found its way back as she tried to hide against the horse. "I kind of figured you guys left me."

He managed to pull her away from the Black and held her close, his lips close enough to feel hers. "I wouldn't leave you. You're mine, remember?"

"And you didn't," she whispered drowsily, lost in the deep, sea blue of his eyes. They made the troubled memories that chased her disappear. Her hands weaved their way up under the collar of his jacket just as his lips could resist no more. It was the barest of an open mouthed kiss, his tongue teasing and prodding its way between those luscious lips to find the softness of hers, warm, wet and alive. The sparks that ignited from that kiss set her insides on fire and she gulped back a sound that resembled a sob. She found herself wrapping one leg around him as he snaked his arms down and around her waist to grab at her ass, as the fervent lip lock continued. Her skin glowed red-hot when his want made itself crystal clear and a sudden warmth flooded her inner thighs.

She forced herself to inhale a lungful of air and with all the might she could muster, managed to push herself away. "I want you, I do," she huffed, unable to keep her breath.

He stepped towards her. "So what's the problem?"

She paused and eyed the trailer and without saying a word, took his hand in hers, gripping it tight as she urged him to follow after. He obeyed, but pulled her back halfway over the fence for another penetrating kiss that left her weak in the knees. As soon as they were over, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way, throwing the door to the tack room of the trailer wide open. Once inside there was no restraint. He pushed her roughly against the back of the saddle rack, the bulk of his body dominant over hers, and reached in, tearing her shirt easily down the middle front and center.

"I've got something for you to wear so that when we feel this urge it'll be easy access all the way," he whispered throatily against her ear as he helped to undue the zipper of the jeans she wore. She could tell just by the way he nibbled at her earlobe that he wore his trademark Cheshire cat smile as he worked his charm. And clearly it was working; she was putty in his arms.

As his lips traced a line down to the sweet nook of her neck where he had taken her life's blood the first time, there came another zipping sound and for the second time she felt of his manhood, ready and willing. "Shut up and take me," she murmured, reaching in to do a little biting of her own. The statement was meant to be playful, but his scent invigorated her senses with a spice all it's own and she noticed that unlike the first time, his skin was rather warm. It was a nice change in the scheme of things, causing her heart to flutter even more.

Her sex was his for the taking, heated, wet and inviting, making the pheromones she gave off give her blood a rich aroma that was almost too much to resist. With a quick, rough motion she was lifted from the floor and placed over his hips as he positioned himself and entered her with a vigorous need, causing a moan to rip through her mouth.

Her heat enveloped him with each slow thrust and he let out a voracious sound of his own as he worked her into a sweaty, sticky mess on the verge of orgasm, releasing the pressure at just the right moment in order to make it last. There bodies converged as one and yet they couldn't get enough, nor be close enough it seemed as Serenity worked her fingers through his thick golden curls while he sucked and bit the area on and around her delicate pink nipples, erect and on display for his wandering mouth. She felt herself about to come when he found her mouth again, biting his tongue before slipping it past her lips and she groaned. The bitter metallic taste of his blood electrified her tongue and for a moment there was a slight amber hue mixed in with the blue-green of her eyes. "I can feel you all through me," she expressed against his mouth, as his thrusts became more vigorous.

He was lost in her in that moment and a guttural growl sounded from deep down in his throat as he left her lips and found the sweet, pumping artery there in the crease of her neck. His fangs slipped down and she felt the sharp sting of his teeth pierce flesh to take a taste. It sent her into instant orgasm.

The feeling of her tightening all around him almost made him lose control and he had to fight not to take more of her life than he wanted. "Come with me," she urged, shaking in the afterglow as she rounded her hips. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace; still kissing and sucking the new wound he had inflicted upon her and let himself go with a feral sound that echoed around the small cabin of the trailer.

She rocked with him in the moment, feeling his heavy breathes, or lack of, match her own, as he pulled away from her neck to rest his head against her chest. She reached down and placed a kiss in his mess of curls.

"You tame the beast in me," he confided in her.

"I hope not," she confessed, still breathless in he heat of the moment.

"To be fair, you won't like what you see beyond this," he admitted.

"You said that before, but why don't you let me be the judge of that?" she asked, afraid to admit that she was indeed on her way out of Santa Carla, afraid that he might already know just from hearing her thoughts.

He pulled away from her, committing the horrid act of separation, and hitched up his pants with a lost look on his face that made her want to cry. "Come on, don't be like that," she continued, trying to straighten out what was left of her clothes.

"I don't want to lose you," he told her rather straightforward and then stepped out of the trailer.

"Wait, wait! Marko, I don't have anything to wear," she called, hearing him walk away. "Damn it!" She slumped back against the racks and put a hand to her forehead. She felt feverish and cold without his presence and lack of clothes.

A few minutes later he appeared again with clothes in hand and a pair of black boots in just her size. Serenity gulped. It had been ages since she had worn anything resembling a skirt, not to mention cowboy boots. "Where did you get these?"

He smiled mischievously as she took the dark blue mini skirt adorned at the pockets and belt with bright blue and silver rhinestones and held it up to her waist. It was the perfect size. "You don't want to know. Come on, get dressed."

"I'm leaving you know?

"Not without saying goodbye. Now don't make me come in there, I might just have to take you again."

"Oh? Is that a promise?" she laughed and awkwardly stepped out. The skirt hugged her curves in all the right ways and the dark top outlined her assets perfectly as her long waves of hair fell slightly over her shoulders to highlight the green of her eyes.

Marko let out a wolf whistle. "Wait till the guys get a load of you."

Serenity blushed. "So you say, but we both know that I would still be dead in a ditch somewhere if I wasn't gifted like I am."

"And yet you stay," he mocked, offering her a hand. "Oh and uh, we actually burn the bodies…most of the time." She frowned. "Seriously Serenity, be happy you've been blessed with the gift, or how else would our souls have met up again?"

"I thought vampires didn't have souls."

"We're damned as far as I know, but who the hell cares right now? I sure as hell don't. Now come on, tonight you ride on the back of a real beast."

"Really? I thought I already had?" She looked up at the sky in wonder and Marko's smile went from ear to ear.

"Nah, I meant my bike," he said proudly as they approached. "Is she a beauty or what?" He climbed aboard and once again offered her a hand. "Come on up, I won't bite to hard, unless you want me to."

Serenity swung a leg over and straddled the bike feeling the leather of the seat flesh against her inner thighs as she wrapped her arms around Marko's mid line, running her fingers over the tone of his stomach. She reached in and nipped at his cheek. "I want you to."

The engine roared to life and they were off towards the mid section of town.


End file.
